Just Another Thing on the Social Agenda
by ThornfieldHall
Summary: Putting their heads together, the UN come up with the ultimate plan: creating a gas that makes soulmate marks appear.If everyone is busy looking for their significant other and being happy than they won't occupy themselves with crime...of course, everything doesn't run quite as smoothly. CourfRockYa:has Enjolras already heard about this? /R: guess not, we wouldve gotten a 10p essay
1. Chapter 1

**Notes about the chatnames, colours and so on are at the bottom.**

 **I'll try and keep it to two chapters. Enjoy!**

'This can't be true.'  
'What can't?'  
Courfeyrac leaned towards Combeferre to sneak a glance at the computer screen, his chair dangerously balancing on one leg.  
'According to five articles, our government has decided… Actually, almost all governments of the UN have decided that we should get soulmates.'  
'Soulmates? Like Romeo and Juliet?'  
'Our perfect other, love of our lives, Disney perfect love-'  
'Yeah, got it. But how can they ever do that?'  
'Apparently they've made some kind of chemical mixture with nanoparticles and smart technologies that can assess our characters and other things. Anyway, the gas will make the name appear on our body of who, on this whole planet, would be perfect for us. Apparently, the gas stays in or on our body and when we come in contact with another human being, it swaps information and makes us leave a coloured mark on the other. The intensity of the mark should show how good the bond is or could be between persons. Science has gotten eerily far, I'm shocked we're able to make this kind of technology.'  
Courfeyrac fell back onto the four legs of his chair.  
'That's fucked up shit. Really.' Gnawing on the short uneven bits of fingernails he had left he looked at the Musain. He hadn't noticed before but almost everyone had stopped talking and was looking at their phones or laptops- perks that came with the Musain being a hipster bar with free wifi and a lot of power sockets.

'Twenty-nine articles… Fifty. It must be true… It can't be.'  
Courfeyrac shoved his chair closer to Combeferre so he could lean his head against Combeferre's shoulder whilst looking at the screen.  
'How am I supposed to find whoever the name belongs to? What if she lives in South-Africa? Or Papoa New Guinea?'  
'Courf, could you please freak out a bit longer about this? Besides, there'll be a databank in which everyone can give in their name and the name on their wrist and then you'll get a list with everyone with your name who has the name written on your body.'  
'Everyone? Can it be that many?'  
'Sometimes, apparently, there'll be no surnames. Because surnames are changed to often for various of reasons.'  
'Guys! You read it already?'  
Feuilly was out of breath, red blotches all over his face.  
'You ran?'  
'Colleague I was talking to on the way home went completely nuts, afraid he and his wife would divorce. Couldn't take it.'  
'He over forty?'  
'Jep, why?'  
'Then he won't get a name. Apparently they assume most have found their love already or deserve to live out their life in peace, old fashioned style.'  
Feuillly nodded, then frowned. 'Don't think his wife is forty though.'  
'Auch, that's bad.'  
'This system already has so many flaws', Combeferre sighed. He took a sip of his coffee and cringed. Courfeyrac loved how his nose wrinkled every time he pulled a face. It's like his whole being went along with his emotions. He was sure that if they lived in a Harry Potter world, Combeferre's hair would change colour as well.  
'Yeah totes, I mean, there's not enough Courfeyrac for everyone. Now I can give everyone a month of my time but I can't give the rest of my live to everyone.'  
'One month?' Feuilly asked sceptically. Courfeyrac frowned. 'Well at least a we-, evening… Sorta…'

Combeferre glared at Courfeyrac. How could he not take this serious? He himself would hate this, he loved to see himself as one in control of his emotions. Combeferre loved his status as voice of reason of the group and his previous nickname in the groupchat reflected that… But he didn't know how to calm himself with the future situation.  
'HotSpecs, you okay?' Courfeyrac would enjoy every moment of Combeferre's new nickname until Enjolras would spoil the fun and tell him to change Combeferre's nickname again because it was "not okay to sexualise someone, Courfeyrac." Boring old granddad.  
After humouring Courfeyrac a little while Combeferre turned his attention to Feuilly. While Feuilly talked about his real concern with Combeferre, Courfeyrac allowed himself to freak out internally. He never wanted to freak in front of people. Freaking out was _not_ a Courf thing to do. His friends didn't need him to be panicky, enough of his friends were nervous and stressed out on a daily basis.  
Would this gas-thing spread everywhere? What if you weren't hit with it? Would they spread it multiple times or would you be forced to see all your friends look for love while you were left wondering forever? How would they make sure no names appeared on older people? Would the gas hold into account who you were currently in love with?  
He snuck a glance at Combeferre. Combeferre was right, this system was bizarre and mysterious.

After some time Feuilly had to go to his next job because his shift was about to start. Combeferre and Courfeyrac went home, deciding the best thing to do was process everything themselves and talk online when they had formed their thoughts.  
Jehan and Grantaire were already home. It was a code orange situation. R was wrapped in the pink heart patterned blanket while The Aristocats were on the television to distract him. Jehan sat beside him, holding his hands while whispering in soothing tones as only Jehan could.  
Jehan shot him a wide eyed looked of despair.  
Courfeyrac dropped his bag and took place behind Grantaire, wrapping his arms around him and resting his head on his shoulder.  
'I'm ruined. I mean, not that I had a chance to begin with but fuck… I don't know what's in a worse state, my bank account or my love life.'  
'Why?'  
'Why?' Grantaire huffed, his curls tickling Courfeyracs nose as he shook his head, 'In less than 24 hours Enjolras will bear the name of his perfect dashing politically correct partner in righteousness. Why should I worry at all?  
Besides, even if I get a name, which I doubt because even chemicals must see that I'm a bad catch, it'd just be a name on my skin. The feelings won't just stop… They never have, it's been years and I've tried everything. I feel sorry for the poor bugger that gets set up with me.  
I won't put my name online. They better spend their life alone and with people who aren't their soulmate than be stuck with me.'  
'R, what did we say about the self-hate?'  
'To the blackboard, R', Jehan gently urged.  
'Bring the blackboard to me.'  
Jehan stood up and picked the board from the hook it was hanging on.  
He wiped away Courf's pick-up line of the day and Grantaire's most recent drawing and handed Grantaire the chalk.  
Grantaire sighed and got his hands

Drawing  
Painting  
Singing  
Great at literary references

Jehan nodded and went to hang to board back in its place.  
'Perhaps Enjolras has you.'  
'You're lying and you know it. It looks at our personality Courf. Enjolras and me, we match on not a single topic in existence.'  
'You both adore Whitney Houston and Fall Out Boy to death.'  
'You can bake and Enjolras loves pastries', Jehan continued.  
'Sounds like a solid base for a relationship', Grantaire sighed.  
They finished the movie and kept sharing their fears and thoughts during dinner. All three of them agreed that cooking would keep them busy and soothe their nerves. They agreed on Indian comfort food. Courfeyrac made a separate batch of flavoured rice to last them throughout the undoubtedly sleepless night.

'How about the Combeferre-Liza situation?'  
'Could you pass me the cumin pleace?'  
'Courf.'  
Courfeyrac sighed and shook his shoulders. 'I don't know, would something happen? You know me Jehan. It might as well be Liza, Mason or Olivia. I mean, Liza and I had a date planned for Friday and yesterday I spent the night with Mason. I- I don't know. Is it possible to get multiple names? I hope so, otherwise tomorrow would be the darkest day ever for Musichetta, Bossuet and Joly. You know how I hate choosing. I like them all, like a lot.'  
'You like them. But what about love?'  
'Love is such a big word, does there even exist such a thing as a perfect soppy love?' He grinned.  
'Nope, only heartache… If this is love I don't get why people want it', Grantaire laughed bitterly while chopping the meat.  
'Sorry Taire.'  
'Is okay. I was like you too, believing love was made up by the market to exploit consumers. Buy this and the love of your life will fall for you, buy chocolate to celebrate your love, buy a fitness pass to remove said chocolate from your body so your loved one will still desire you… yada yada.'  
He threw it in a pan grinning. 'They'll have to rethink the concept now.'

Courfeyrac ended up not logging in to Facebook that night, debating who he loved most or if he wanted a fresh name. After all, he loved the hunt and if they weren't in his immediate social circle he could be a free man much longer. He quite liked being single and able to flirt. If flirting and touching random people was still possible after everything, that is.

Jehan braided his hair while his laptop was starting up. Courfeyrac and Grantaire were slowly on their way to become human beings, cups of coffee clutched in their hands as precious gems in need of protection and breakfast was made.  
He'd been able to sleep an hour or three between twisting in bed and answering the group chat. Jehan should've listened to Courfeyrac when his former lover had advised him not to log in. The chat had done nothing to help his nerves. Everyone was asking new questions, using caps when new info was mentioned in a news post and posting ethical complaints against the measure every half hour.  
Three hundred new messages had been posted in the chat since he had left it. He decided to only read the last twenty, a true feat since new replies kept coming in making the chat window scroll down towards the newest reply in the conversation.  
Apparently, Enjolras hadn't come home yesterday nor had he answered Combeferre's messages, Musichetta was crying so much that Joly was worried for her eyes and Bahorel had gotten completely pissed in a failed attempt to forget the whole mess.  
Courfeyrac took place next to him after finishing breakfast. 'What new?' The brunette asked.  
'Everyone above the age of sixteen and under forty will get their name this day. Everyone else will get their name the day they turn sixteen. That's possible because the gas will stay in the air but only react on their skin the day their chemicals change and signal them to be sixteen because apparently, this gas can also read age. They didn't tell sooner because they didn't want people to freak out. The names won't appear on exactly the same moment but should appear within 24 hours after the gas is released.'  
'When will that be?'  
'In two hours from now, GMT+1.' Grantaire and Courfeyrac turned white. Jehan worried for a moment that they'd pass out and he couldn't keep both of them from hitting their head on the floor at the same time. He'd have to decide who could not mentally handle another hit on the head.

'All of us have multiple names so that's a good thing. If you have more names than the search of your significant other for you will be narrowed down quite a bit.'  
'Marius' soulmate will have the easiest time ever than. Dude's nobility.'  
Courfeyrac threw a glance on the facebook page. 'How does our fierce leader react?'  
Jehan shook his head.  
'No one knows where he is. Do you think something happened to him?'  
Courfeyrac freed Jehan's lip from between his teeth with his thumb while shaking his head. 'Enjolras has fallen from the surface of the earth before. Happens every so often when he exhausts himself again.'  
'I know but this is quite a big thing he's missing on… Or he's heard about it and bought a plane ticket-'  
'Storming the UN headquarters for a one man protest.'  
'Force to reckon with', Grantaire quipped. 'I bet his ferocious glare alone could make the building crumble at the spot.'

They fell silent. They were all too stressed to keep up conversations. Even facebook had quieted down. It was as if the whole world was holding their breath in unison.

The group chat started again slowly.

WEDNESDAY

10:20 AM

 **Maricuddles** : does anybody know someone named Cosette?  
 **Maricuddles** : hello?  
 **Maricuddles** : combeferre, I know you're online

10:40 AM

 **Hotspecs** : E's not gonna like this  
 **Maricuddles** : combeferre what do you mean?  
 **Maricuddles** : combeferre?  
 **Maricuddles** : I hate you  
 **Maricuddles** : not really  
 **Maricuddles** : a little though

11:30 AM

 **JollyJoly** : Chetta, Bossuet and me are endgame, praise the lord  
 **JollyJoly** : keeping my fingers crossed for you guys  
 **JollyJoly** : stay strong  
 **PeterPan** : I don't think your crossed fingers are gonna help us much, dear  
 **Boxclasshero** : IT'S A GIRL  
 **JollyJoly:** congratulations?

11:50 AM  
 **Boxclasshero** : there's 70 girls on that site with that name until now spread over all continents  
 **Boxclasshero** : gonna wait until they fill in their names  
 **Boxclasshero** : my colour is yellow  
 **Boxclasshero** : I love yellow  
 **Boxclasshero** : it's the colour of the beer im gonna drink to pass time

1:20 PM  
 **Maricuddles** : how is everyone?  
 **Maricuddles** : okay  
 **Maricuddles** : the internet's gone haywire  
 **Maricuddles** : closet gays are being attacked in the middle east, guys? Nobody feeling like equal rights and social justice today?  
 **Maricuddles** : nevermind Marius, who cares about others when love is on the line. We're hyprocitical like that

2:14 PM  
 **CourfRockYa** : Well those were some dark hours  
 **Maricuddles** : thank god, someone else is finally online again  
 **CourfRockYa** : sorry my tiny precious ginger flower  
 **CourRockYa** : can't stay long  
 **CourfRockYa** : i know, i know, having to do without my presence is agony  
 **CourfRockYa** : utter misery  
 **CourfRockYa** : but I was only ordering pizza online  
 **CourfRockYa** : i actually have to go, on watching duty  
 **HotSpecs** : Have you gotten your name already courf?  
 **CourfRockYa** : yeah, ready for the greatest love story of al time  
 **CourfRockYa** : walt disney wishes he were still alive to make a movie of it  
 **CourfRockYa** : or rather not, I don't want my lovestory to be a PG approved thing  
 **CourfRockYa** : perhaps a 3d movie  
 **HotSpecs** : how's Taire?  
 **CourfRockYa** : great, all unicorns and strawberry cheesecake… hes the best with these kinds of things  
 **Maricuddles:** what things  
 **CourfRockYa** : love things  
 **HotSpecs** : that bad huh

4:36 PM  
 **captainrogers** : do you guys also have names on your chest?  
 **HotSpecs** : thank god Enjolras, you're alive. Why didn't you respond to your phone?  
 **captainrogers** : I had a paper due for tomorrow. Was in the library.  
 **HotSpecs** : the whole night?  
 **captainrogers** : they closed up without knowing I was still inside…. I didn't notice at first, then didn't care. My laptop had enough light… I think I lost some hours though because the next time I looked at the clock the library was open again, day had begun and I had a long line of random letters in my document.  
 **HotSpecs** : Enjolras, we agreed you'd not do that as often anymore  
 **captainrogers** : we did, I intend to keep that promise. It was just this once. It was important.  
 **HotSpecs** : just as important as 4 days ago? And 9 days ago  
 **captainrogers** : I try* to keep that promise  
 **HotSpecs** : everyone should normally have a name on their skin, it's the name of their soulmate. The government did it to keep us from waging war constantly  
 **captainrogers** : WHAT  
 **captainrogers** : I have no internetconnection for a day and now grmrjbearjrgeogrgtg  
 **captainrogers** : they cannot just do this  
 **captainrogers** : this is against human rights  
 **captainrogers** : what about freedom of choice  
 **captainrogers** : what are these matches based on?  
 **captainrogers** : why is this name so scribbly  
 **captainrogers** : not that I care, I'm against it on principle  
 **captainrogers** : BRB  
 **HotSpecs** : Enjolras?  
 **captainrogers** : I'm gonna do some research and start a petition to stop this  
 **HotSpecs** : It's too late  
 **captainrogers** : they must reverse it and hold a referendum  
 **HotSpecs** : you get your sleepdeprived ass home ASAP, eat and sleep for ten hours; Then you can go on playing human rights advocate  
 **captainrogers** : in training*  
 **HotSpecs** : NOW ENJOLRAS AND YOU WILL STAY ON THE PHONE DURING THE WHOLE WAY HOME SO I KNOW YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY WITHOUT DOING OTHER THINGS  
 **captainrogers** : don't talk to me like I am a child. Besides, can you not type in caps? It's like you're screaming.  
 **HotSpecs** : don't make me lay you across my lap because I will for the love of god and all that is holy.  
 **CourfRockYa** : kinky  
 **R** : justice has awoken  
 **R** : world behold, your savior is amongst us once more

'You think he'll call us in for a meeting?' Jehan asked while applying some skinpaint very carefully to his arm.  
'At least not today. Combeferre will prevent that from happening. But yeah, I guess so… That parrot is looking great so far, Jehan.'

Jehan smiled without losing focus. Not a day had gone by since they met that the ginger man didn't have drawings or poetry lines on his skin. But his soulmate had a larger than life messily written name so now Jehan had to draw immense designs on his arm to keep his privacy. Courfeyrac had an easy time. The name was written in small round letters, evenly measured, clean, very Combeferre-ish."Is he even gay!" Courfeyrac exclaimed dramatically. It was so small it remained perfectly covered by his watch, no matter how much he shook his wrist or threw his arm in the air. He had tried. Had he been asleep he wouldn't even have known he had gotten a name since he almost never took the watch of.  
'I'm sure he… Wait, I genuinely don't know. But Courf, haven't you known him since high school? Have you really never seen him kiss a boy or a girl?' Jehan wondered.  
'He dated a girl for three months once. But I date girls as well, dating girls doesn't mean you can't feel the same for boys.'  
'Very true, Grantaire has denial-dated for a very long time.'  
'Combeferre has never even kissed a boy for all I know. He never even wanted to kiss us during a game because it "was an expression of love and should be used as such". I blamed him of not loving us but even that wasn't enough to get him to kiss any of us.'  
He freed himself from Grantaire's grasp. The man had received Enjolras' name which had initially almost given him hope.  
But even though the fog had only been spread a couple of hours ago there had already been cases of persons having names of persons who had other names written on them.  
'I'm done. Thus dies the last inch of hope. There's no chance I don't belong in the same category as these poor buggars. I just hope no one has me. Probably not.' After that Grantaire, Jehan and Courfeyrac started watching a movie. Grantaire had fallen asleep twenty minutes in.  
'Damn, I'm covered in dark pink', Courfeyrac sighed. 'Not that I didn't want to hug you R, I just didn't expect this much of a mess.'  
'The colour suits you.'  
Courfeyrac raised an eyebrow and started wiping yellow all over Jehan, making his hands a lovely purple.

Fate was not in their favour. The sun had not even considered setting when the three of them got a text at the exact same moment. They all knew what that meant: a gathering. Combeferre wanted to have all over for dinner. The bastard using their weakness for Chinese to make sure they came. 'Today is not a good day for my figure', Courfeyrac sighed looking at the pizza boxes.  
'What figure?' Grantaire exclaimed mockingly. He had a pillow pressed tightly against his chest. Grantaire always hugged pillows and blankets. To this day Courfeyrac still didn't know if the biggest reason was because he needed to hug something to comfort him or to cover his belly though he was only a size M.  
'Come now darlings, go dress yourselves up. I'll clean up in the meanwhile', Jehan ushered them out of the couch and Courfeyrac called dibbs on the shower. He was hunted out of the bathroom after 30 minutes. 'But my argan oil! I can't show my head otherwise.' All twelve of Courfeyrac's sprays and oils rolled over the white tiles. A little bucket filled with gels, wax, aftershaves and perfume followed before the door was closed with a decisive thud.  
'No respect for a man's beauty routine.'

'You dolled up real well Courf, sure you're not dressing up for someone?'  
'I'm always dressed up!'  
'If you want to convince them you don't want to lure Combeferre to your bed the second you touch him, you shouldn't be wearing the blue shirt with that bowtie.'  
'I wear shirts all the time just like bowties.'  
'Yes, but you usually save the golden glitter bowtie for when you bring your A-Game to a club.'  
'I do, don't I?'  
Courfeyrac rushed past a worried Jehan. 'Changing outfits?'  
'Jup.'  
'Do I look fine to your artistic eye?' Jehan asked pulling an eyebrow while pouting seductively.  
Grantaire looked from his shiny blue doc Martins to the baroque print pants and electric blue large knitted sweater. 'Damn darling, you always look fine. If I weren't in love with another I wouldn't be able to keep my hands of you.'

'Let's go, before I change my mind again.'

They were the last three to arrive, safe Feuilly who had already informed them he would come later.

Courfeyrac played with his blue bowtie, hoping the red and blue checkered shirt and electric blue pants had enough of a casual vibe, as far as Courfeyrac did casual.

Bossuet was retelling the discovery about Musichetta, Joly and him discovering they were soulmates. Bossuet had enthusiastically shaken his hand when they entered leaving him and Bossuet with a yellow hand.  
Bossuet had started apologising for just shaking his hand and forgetting the implications of such a gesture when he noticed that their hands bore the same colour, though Courfeyrac's was warmer.  
They'd had a good laugh and high fived before Courfeyrac decided he better immediately discuss his first skin contact with Joly and Musichetta before he became a living Frankenthaler painting. Joly left an Indigo mark and Musichetta had a magenta colour.  
The three of them left a fainter mark than Jehan and Grantaire, which hurt Courfeyrac but it was to be expected he couldn't be an intense bonding partner for everyone.

Combeferre stood on the other side of the room talking with Jehan and Enjolras. They had yet to talk. Courfeyrac unconsciously touched his watch.  
He _hated_ knowing his soulmate. He hated the sense of obligation nagging in the back of his head to inform Combeferre. He hated feeling like he couldn't freely date anymore though he knew he could. He hated that he was expected by faith to live together like a responsible adult for the rest of his life without being allowed to screw up. Because if he screwed up he would lose the single person in life meant to always be there for him.  
Courfeyrac knew he would be the one to screw up. Combeferre wouldn't screw up. Combeferre wouldn't even know how to screw things up. He had never ruined something in his entire life. He was just too smart, kind and thoughtful for that. Everything Courfeyrac admired but would never be. Courfeyrac didn't mind most of the time, didn't aspire to be like him. The world needed people like Courfeyrac as well. Caring, cheerful and carefree people that believed in the world and wouldn't let society or rules get in the way of making the world the best place it could be. Being like Combeferre would keep him from doing that.

Grantaire had on multiple occasions told him he should just spill the beans. Even if Combeferre wasn't in love with him he would be attracted enough for something to bloom. Combeferre's only great asset were his sharp cheeckbones. His light brown eyes were hidden behind big glasses and overshadowed by his long bangs, his chin weak, his lips thin and eyebrows the same sandy brown colour as his wild hair. He shouldn't be so attractive to Courfeyrac.  
But the elegant fingers he twirled and twisted his pen around, the veins that stood out on his arms, the intensity of his eyes as if the person he was talking to was always the most interesting person on the planet and his voice. _His voice._ Courfeyrac had shamefully come multiple times thinking of Combeferre reciting parts of a book he was reading.

Combeferre looked his way and Courfeyrac quickly turned his attentions towards Bossuet again.  
When chinese arrived they each found somewhere to sit in the living room. There were too many people to fit on the saggy old couches but Combeferre and Enjolras had invested in a very soft rug since they had their friends over so often. Courfeyrac had slept on it more often than he liked to admit. More often because he fell out of the couch while sleeping than he liked to admit as well.  
'So,' Enjolras began putting out the tv, 'I won't ask you to talk about anyting you're uncomfortable with. But I want to know how you guys experienced the colourthing and the whether or not appearing of a name.'

The three lovers talked about their experience easily, but did point out what they thought were flaws in the system and the possibility of danger for person who had multiple names in narrow minded social environments.  
Jehan exclaimed that he felt more relaxed knowing that there was someone out there for him but anxious about whether he would ever meet them and if he would recognise their name. He liked the colours, much to Enjolras' dismay.  
'It's not a thing that society can force on us or use against us Enjolras. Yes, it was a government measure but whether people match or not is just a matter of fate. It shows friendships can't be forced. And it can help shy or insecure people. When they touch someone and leave a mark it can encourage them to talk because they have a reassurance those people will like them as well. And if you don't want to accidenily meet someone you connect with like when you're on a train or in a rush than you wear gloves or sleeves. There are solutions.'  
'But we shouldn't adapt how we dress ourselves out of fear for the consequences and we shouldn't be forced to talk to persons just because there's the possibility of us becoming friends.' 'But you aren't forced. There are no laws that force as to acquaint ourselves with everyone that could become a friend. And it's practically impossible to impose such a rule with over six billion people on this planet. Besides, people can be kind and considerate. Almost everyone has friend. More friends is always nice but most people won't be insulted if you don't want to befriend them. I mean, I think a lot of people like Courfeyrac would be relieved.'  
'I would?'  
'Imagine you had to befriend everyone you might get along with.'  
'Well, that would be awful. I already have a hard time equally dividing my time over the friends I already have. And there's not a night I don't have ten messages on facebook. And that's not even counting the people I intend to talk to that day.'  
'You intend to talk with?' Combeferre inquired.

Courfeyrac shook his shoulders. 'I may have over 700 friends on facebook but I do know every single one of them and I do want to keep in touch with them.'  
'That must take up a lot of your time.'  
'I manage perfectly; I just like to keep my phone at hands. I always enjoy being with you guys and I do spend most of my time with you lot but I'm constantly talking with nine other persons at the same time.'  
His phone buzzed at that exact time and he smiled meekly before looking.

Enjolras turned to Grantaire who sat next in line but Combeferre prevailed quickly though he'd hoped he didn't have to talk about his feelings or the big bold writing that forbade him to leave even a single button of his button-down open.  
'I agree with Jehan. It would be hard to force friendships upon us. But I'm afraid that free partnerchoice could be endangered. Though registration sites currently exist to help those who want to find their soulmate now, I can totally imagine the government deciding that because they want to help us find our significant other, they will endow a law forcing us to register the names on our bodies. Besides, knowing society, it will probably become a scandal to date someone who isn't your intended.'  
'Well, it is kinda like cheating since you are intentionally not together with the person you are supposed to be with', Marius replied.  
Enjolras, prepared to start arguing, was quickly quieted again by a raised finger from Marius.  
'I'm not saying that's okay. I'm just pointing out that people might think that way.'  
'And are you okay with having someone?' Enjolras asked.  
Courfeyrac strained his ears but kept his eyes fixed on the carpet he was plucking at. Grantaire saw the look of hurt when Combeferre failed to make eye contact with Courfeyrac. He'd always been unsure about whether or not Combeferre returned Courfeyrac's feelings. The med student was good at shielding his inner thoughts and feelings, perhaps too good for his own good. Grantaire decided he would start looking for signs in Combeferre's behaviour. It was bad enough he was miserable in love, no need for two of his best friends to be equally miserable if it could be helped.

'I am not opposed to it. But I realise I am in a lucky situation despite having some difficulties. I am single, my significant other is of the sex I am attracted to and I am living in a tolerant country in which my sexual preference isn't held against me… Well, not by law at least. Can't help that some people are narrow minded. There should be international laws that make sure people won't be endangered because of their names.'  
'One of my cousins who is still living in India has the name of a co-worker written on her ankle.'  
Everybody fell silent. Musichetta smiled sadly before continuing: 'The man is a divorcee of… Well, you guys know India has some strong stratification and people are divided into categories called castes? I won't overcomplicate it by throwing around with names, but he is two levels beneath her. Equality in jobs and treatment has gotten better by fifty percent since the fifties but it's still there in the minds of many. At one point our family will want to know the name. They don't mind her making her own choices but I don't think they expect her to marry someone like him.'  
'This shit is gonna inflict some true pain before our governments have enough laws to cover bad consequences of being matched', Grantaire sighed.  
'Are you experiencing bad consequences Grantaire, or are you just pointing out that many will be hurt?'  
'When has there been a time that love didn't hurt, Apollo? I know you comprehend little concerning matters of the heart but I did expect you to know that love has been the cause of much pain, sadness and violence in this world. Always has been and always will be. But to love, as said by many great poet and philosopher, is our great glory and greatest tragedy.'  
'Did you read that in the same book as the words on your t-shirt?' Bahorel asked.  
Grantaire grinned. 'Perhaps.'  
'I was thinking about buying the same t-shirt', Bahorel laughed. Enjolras rolled his eyes. In what kind of dumb book would people say "I drink and I know things"? He didn't get it.

The group started having difficulty with the discussion so Joly asked for a break. Courfeyrac walked to the kitchen island and started pouring himself some apple juice when Combeferre quietly appeared next to him.  
'You're quiet today.' Courfeyrac couldn't help looking up. Combeferre was worried. He couldn't make Combeferre worried. He couldn't make Combeferre suspicious. Suspicious Combeferre was a dangerous Combeferre. Courfeyrac had never been able to keep something secret when Combeferre was inquisitive.  
'Yeah, I wasn't really feeling like coming today to be honest. I'm beyond tired, I've drained an entire coffeepot but it didn't help much. Can you believe it? An entire pot Combeferre, I usually only do that during the exam period. I'll probably start feeling the effects by the time I want to go to sleep. I need my beauty sleep 'ferre. How else can I impress my soulmate?'  
A muscle pulled in Combeferre's jaw and a look of hurt slid across it. Courfeyrac hated that he had to talk about his soulmate as if he wasn't standing right in front of him.  
'I didn't dare ask it outright on chat but does R have-' 'Oh yes, I'm afraid so. You don't happen to know…'  
'No. He came home and though I forced him to shower I didn't exactly stick around to watch. I only know he has one because he asked about what the marks meant on chat. I think he believes that if he hates the theft of choice it represents hard enough it will disappear.'  
'Enjolras never wanted to occupy himself with love, he is already doing more than most normal men so I don't blame him for wanting to leave some things out. But now he is almost forced to occupy himself with it.'  
'He should start to realise that a relationship doesn't mean the end of his ambitions. I think it would do him good to have someone who keeps him in touch with reality, human needs and feelings like food, sleep and doubt.'  
'I know someone who's a great cook, great in bed and full of doubt.'  
Combeferre shook his head and laughed. 'How much are the stakes now?'  
'Well, we haven't revisited them since this development… But I daresay it will change some things. I think I'll lower my money.'  
Combeferre reached for his mug and barely missed touching Courfeyrac's wrist. Goosebumps spread across Courfeyrac his skin. Too close, too fucking close. He should really roll down his sleeves again. After a while he'd gotten warm and rolled them up again during the debate.  
He turned slightly and raised his eyebrows to Jehan. The ginger noticed and approached them.  
'Courfeyrac, I just had this wonderful idea for a new tattoo!'  
'Minimalistic or like the very detailed narcissus?' 'Oh, detailed. But I'm thinking about an eagle. I have always wanted something that expressed freedom and fierceness and-' while Jehan continued to talk enthusiastically the ginger man slid his nimble fingers in his pocket, unlocking the screen of his old fashioned phone. Courfeyrac's phone went over. Courfeyrac pretended picking it up.  
'Yeah? What! No ugh god please. But surely even HE understands how distraught everyone is? But but but? No, yes. Fine, Skype it is. Yeah, okay. About thirty minutes? Yeah alright. Bye.'  
'We had a group work due tomorrow. We only have to rewrite a couple paragraphs, write a conclusion and control the bibliography and footnotes but well, you know how long that can take. We thought we'd get some sort of delay but no, it's due tomorrow after all.'  
Courfeyrac stepped back and was turning to say goodbye when he slipped. Two strong hands caught him by the elbows. Courfeyrac gripped the wrist and upper arm of his savior tightly.  
For ten long seconds Courfeyrac could only stare at Combeferre. Combeferre looked as if he was planning to say something but finally, when nothing happened, Courfeyrac gave a curt smile before waving at the rest and quickly grabbing his coat.  
Once outside Courfeyrac leant against the wall trying to calm his breathing. Touching Combeferre had felt like an electric shock. His heart was racing and it wasn't only because he fell. He twisted his hands. His fingertips were blue thanks to Marius, his right hand was yellow because of Bossuet and his right hand was a dark pink shad because he'd been hugging R when they got their names and marking- ability. But a couple of the edges on his hands were a turquoise colour.  
Inside, Combeferre started cleaning up the not-so-accidentally spilt coffee. Courfeyrac ignored the colour and walked home before allowing himself to look. He divested himself of his coat and button-down. His hands were the most brightly coloured, bracelets of Musichetta and Joly encircled a wrist and a slash of Jehan's violet and Bahorel's orange graced his other arm but nothing stood out like the two turquoise hands on his elbows and the edges of his hands. He'd thought it couldn't get more intense than Grantaire and Jehan's markings but he was mistaken. So mistaken.  
'I'm fucked.'

Truth was, Courfeyrac did indeed have a busy week planned before this mess happened. After finishing his group work he still had to hand in two papers and he'd only done his research for one of them.  
By the next Thursday Courfeyrac felt like he'd been dragged through hell and back. He'd also come to accept his fate. He'd tried washing his elbows with water, soap and Grantaire's acetone but no matter how hard he rubbed the colour wouldn't fade. He'd expected to at least get a rash or red irritation for rubbing so hard and using irritating products but the colour had seeped so deep in his skin it couldn't even turn pink anymore. He'd tried the same on Jehan's mark to test if all marks were like that. They weren't. Only Combeferre's couldn't change colour.  
Jehan, Grantaire and Courfeyrac were looking like paint palettes by the end of the week. Apparently this was special. Almost no one in his classes had as many marks as him and even fewer had such intense marks and barely anyone so many intense marks.  
For Grantaire this was an estranging happening. He'd quietly accepted having so many friends. He'd considered himself lucky they were willing to take him up in their group but he'd never expected he'd mean so much to so many people and the marks were there every day to prove it to him. But not even a heart shaped mark made by one of his art friends was enough to compensate the lack of the red mark he wanted.  
Jehan kept looking wherever he went for his name but never found it. He hated how he couldn't even use websites because the name was illegible should he ever want to undertake direct steps to find his soulmate. Not that there was any haste. Jehan didn't need a lover. He was perfectly happy where he was in life though he did enjoy searching to occupy himself during dull subway rides.  
However, Jehan got too distracted sometimes. His glance drifted away from a mom hugging her baby and landed on the name of their current location. This was his stop. He quickly pushed through the crowd, careful to only touch clothes. The doors were gliding towards each other in what seemed to be slow motion. A hand came to rest on a door and they slid open again. A boy walked in and Jehan collided with him. He was pretty sure he'd hit his uncovered arm but had no time to look and quickly jumped out.  
While the doors closed behind him he looked at himself. The same marks as before and nothing more, strange, he decided. The boy turned, pushing his messy brown hair and hat away to better look at the man in the bright colours standing on the platform while the subway slowly rolled out of the station.

Courfeyrac was scrolling through a news feed during politics when their group chat on facebook popped up. He quickly pressed the mute button. He always forgot to put the sound of his laptop off. Enjolras – who had yet to change Combeferre's name back something boring – had put a google document on it.

2:10 PM

 **CourfRockYa:** ? **  
captainrogers:** This way we can all work together on an essay I'll post on facebook, tumblr and all other websites I know off. I'll also be sending it to 10 newssites. They post rubbish like "10 things Japanese girls think about western cosmetics" so why not "101 critiques on the new soulmate system".  
 **R:** alternatively: "How a college student rather looks for 101 reasons to condemn the concept of unconditional love instead of paying attention"  
 **captainrogers:** alternatively: "Guess what? Not everyone loves the new version of an arranged marriage"

Courfeyrac sent a snap to R pulling a face like someone just waxed his legs… again. Grantaire sent back a picture of thick wavy brown hair sitting next to a pouty faced blond with clouds of steam drawn around the second face. "Just love that look on his face". Courfeyrac looked around and found Grantaire sitting a couple of rows lower to their right. Grantaire, instead of taking a minor like normal people, had just handpicked courses he found interesting. But he was often late and left early for politics since it overlapped with his philosophy classes, Enjolras had yet to realise that Grantaire took this class.  
Courfeyrac got an elbow in his side. Enjolras pointed towards the screen. With a sigh Courfeyrac opened the document. In the document were a lot of remarks that had been discussed during their get-together.  
It was only 2000 words long. He clicked open his document in which he was making notes and hoped Enjolras wouldn't notice it was about the veto rights of certain countries in UN organisations instead of soulmate problems.  
During break he quickly clicked Enjolras' document open again. The 2000 words had become 7520. Marius, Musichetta, Bossuet and Joly were asking him in the chat section to tone it down with the critique because he made it sound like people who liked their soulmates were fraternising with satan and supporting antique views on society. Enjolras commented short and sharply. Grantaire was decidedly silent and hadn't put a single thing in the chat section or document. Bahorel, to lighten the tension, put "YEAH", "HELL YEAH" and "CAPICHE?!" after every argument. Enjolras fumed and Bahorel let him remove it only to put them back.  
The discussion was also happening on facebook.

3:35 PM

 **captainrogers:** for fuck's sake Combeferre, can you please stop grammar-nazi'ing everything I write. You're always one sentence behind me like you're chasing me or something.  
 **HotSpecs** : yes I'm chasing your ragetyping rampage of words which you call sentences and put them in a way that they are actual understandable sentences.  
 **PeterPan:** Combeferre, dear, he doesn't understand. Revisit it later  
 **HotSpecs:** but now Im on top of it if I just let him than by the time he's done I have to correct a document the size of the lotr book. As in: all three books in one, you know, the one I have at home  
 **CourfRockYa:** GrandJehanRack are going out tonight. who wanna come? shaking off the tiredness of a week's hard work  
 **Boxclasshero:** im in, looking for my lovely lass  
 **PeterPan:** the more the merrier & yes, hunting together :3  
 **SurrogateMom:** We already have plans, I'm sorry boys  
 **CourfRockYa:** soulmate is such a big goal, I'll be looking for "pretty and willing"  
 **captainrogers:** you guys despise me. We're supposed to be a TEAM.  
 **captainrogers:** Meet-up at the Musain at 4.30  
 **HotSpecs:** class?  
 **captainrogers:** I mean…. I would like everyone who is able to come to go the Musain at 4.30. It's okay if you are elsewise occupied, we will catch you up later and no important decisions will be made without consulting everyone of this group.  
 **HotSpecs:** better  
 **captainrogers:** did Courfeyrac change your name again?  
 **CourfRockYa:** umm :s  
Enjolras was glaring at him. This was not good. He gave Enjolras a toothy smile. 'What did I tell you about-'  
'I am not allowed to objectify people. You never know when it hits home.' 'Very right.'

 **CourfRockYa** : arghvg, I'm so dead atm  
 **captainrogers** changed **HotSpecs** to **Combeferre**  
 **SurrogateMom** : srsly Enj?'  
 **captainrogers** : I'm not here to make up cool names. Just wanted to right a wrong  
 **Boxclasshero** : youre out of this world boring jolras, m really disappnted  
 **R** changed **Combeferre** to **MothMan**  
 **CourfRockYa** : come on, hes had that name for like, the first 2 yrs of this chat  
 **MothMan** : this is getting old guys, really  
 **R** changed **MothMan** to **CookFerre**  
 **CookFerre** : but I'm not that good a chef?  
 **R** : guess you'll be needing those private lessons, huh?  
-

'Damn Daniel, back at it again with the Mickey Mouse Vans', Grantaire laughed. Courfeyrac only raised his head with pride, keeping his feet propped up on the table. Combeferre was torn between keeping an eye on him out of fear he'd fall and break his neck for real this time and ignoring the annoying brunette who'd been ignoring him.  
'Okay, I've had it! Who the fuck is this Daniel?' Enjolras growled.  
A Cheshire cat grin grew on Grantaire's face. He always took the bait.  
'No one knows, that's the wonderful thing about these things', he replied. 'Could you be any more vague?' 'Is that a challenge I hear, oh fearless one?'  
'I don't know either, but it's funny', Marius said from where he was seated. Enjolras looked at thim and whisked his face away as if seeing something nasty.  
'You're all not thinking straight, how can you laugh with something you don't get?'  
'After all this time it must have become quite obvious, even to you Apollo, that nothing about me is straight.'  
Enjolras froze for a second. Grantaire pulled a dark eyebrow up.  
'Let's just focus alright. If we can be productive than we can end this sooner. So please, Courfeyrac, feet off the table because though your shoes are pretty it's not an ergonomic posture. Bahorel, stop with making everyone go broke. We all know you're great at arm wrestling, no need to dislocate shoulders, hurt elbows and lighten our wallets. And Jehan-'  
Jehan looked up from Eponine's hand. Eponine looked Enjolras dead in the eye.  
'Fine, whatever. You guys aren't bothering anyone. But I'd really appreciate it if you'd attribute something later on, okay?'  
Jehan nodded and continued painting Eponine's nails a dark purple.  
Now that Enjolras wasn't ranting behind a computer screen but looking in the eyes of people who did love their soulmates like Musichetta, Marius, Joly and Bossuet he listened to their pleas to be more moderate and mindful of both sides of the debate.  
Courfeyrac wrote down three points he wanted in the document but waited for moments of silence and points at which Enjolras asked his opinion so he could spread his input over their whole get-together.  
In the meantime he was scrolling through posts on his wall when his finger suddenly froze above a picture. He was pretty sure he'd read or heard someone talking about her. He'd forgotten about her amidst all the madness last week. He knew someone had asked about her but he couldn't remember who. He looked around the table. Besides Enjolras, Combeferre, Bahorel, Feuilly and Marius everyone was either openly gay or taken. Enjolras and Combeferre hadn't spoken about their soulmate or their sex yet, though Combeferre had strongly hinted it was a man. Bahorel had a girl but Courfeyrac would be surprised if this was the girl for him and Feuilly wasn't actively looking for his soulmate, saying he wouldn't have time for them with all the jobs he currently had. It had to be Marius. He looked at the girl again. He'd been a monitor with her for a couple of summer camps and had gotten to know her quite well. She was very sweet and honest and her sense of humour was great, though she was a wicked tease. Yes, she'd fit Marius. Why hadn't he thought of sending them on a blind date together yet? How cool would it have been had he set them up only to find out later his match had been soulmate-level good.  
'Hey Marius, what was your girl's name again? Well, not your girl but… you know, the name of the girl on your wherever?'  
'Oh, Cosette. You happen to know her? I've asked around everywhere for her and subscribed to every registration site.'

Courfeyrac looked whether she was coming to the party tonight. She was. How completely perfect would this be? It'd be like Danny and Sandy meeting each other after the game in Grease except they were both more like Sandy.  
'Guess who's coming to the party tonight?'  
Courfeyrac handed his phone to Marius. His mouth fell open.  
'She. Is. So. Stunning!' Marius whimpered when he went through her pictures and then her likes.  
'She likes Shakespeare, Italian and chocolate… Oh she has read A Song of Ice and Fire and War& Peace. I never met someone who's been able to finish the last one. I wonder if she read it in Russian?'  
'I don't think so Marius, we're not all linguistic wonders.'  
Marius shrugs but he has to goofiest happiest grin.

The meeting came to an end after only two hours. Meetings were always difficult when they added a new cause to the list. Debating about how their plan to help a certain social group was tiresome and hard so Enjolras made sure to have everyone's opinions and suggestions on the table so everyone could mull over them before getting on to a plan of action. Courfeyrac wished he cared more. It was so incredibly important, he knéw it was. But he was so selfishly absorbed in his own drama he just couldn't get himself to care more.  
'R, we're going to a party tonight.' 'Really? I'm in, I know the DJ of one place and he's really good and-'  
'Well, actually, we already know where we're going. Marius' soulmate is going to be in NOX Mystique.'  
'At least the girl has taste, it is a great place though a bit prep most days.'  
'What are you talking about, it's the one affiliated with my student society?' 'Yes, and the economics department. As I said, prep', Grantaire laughed. He patted Courfeyrac's shoulder. 'It's okay. I'd love to go. Especially if it is to bring our precious Marius to his future source of happiness.'

This comment, unfortunately had not gone unnoticed. 'How do you know he'll be perfectly happy just because of some weird science trick? More happy than when he'd meet someone and fall in love naturally?'  
'This is natural Enjolras, it is nature telling two people to be together. Both ways are natural.' 'It's chemicals.' 'Love is a chemical, not that you would know that. What do you know of love? What do you know what it feels like? When was the last time you were in love?'  
Enjolras paled and Courfeyrac instinctively put an arm around Enjolras' back. He went rigid seconds later, he'd again touched someone without permission and though Enjolras was fully covered he still didn't like that he still touched people now touch had become such a difficult topic.  
Grantaire was hurt but confronting Enjolras with his lack of experience was not a nice thing to do at all.  
'It is not because I have not experienced certain _things_ that I cannot stand up for them.'  
'Believe me, fearless one, I know soulmates are far from a match made in heaven sometimes. I even dare say soulmates can suck as much as ordinary "normal" love. It doesn't make people perfect for each other, it merely offers a possibility and the comfort that there should theoretically be someone out there that should love you. But you won't hear me shouting how it can't be as good or pure as love found through looking for a partner the regular way. Besides, I only know of soulmates that have had feelings for their partner before, which again reinforces that some part of the relationship is down to getting along and having sentiments for each other that have nothing to do with the bond. Marius is the first one of us to find a soulmate he hasn't met before and I wish him all the luck in the world. Because knowing your soulmate doesn't mean you get a perfect relationship on a golden platter.'  
R brushed past Enjolras and stalked out without another word. Marius looked very tempted to go after him but he knew better than to run after Grantaire when he wanted to be alone. Musichetta, Bossuet, Bahorel, Feuilly and Joly had a hard time concealing their sympathy. Grantaire had only told Courfeyrac and Jehan who his soulmate was but they'd all had their suspicions. Suspicions that were now completely confirmed.

'Well, you guys coming to the party at NOX Mystique tonight?'  
'I should work on a paper.' 'When is it due?' 'In two weeks.' 'C'mon Enj, just do what you can do before ten. That's more than enough for today isn't it?'  
Enjolras glanced at Combeferre who just shrugged. 'I don't have any morning classes and neither have you, we could.'  
Combeferre was coming? No no. Why had he publicly asked? He wanted to get away from Combeferre to forget him. Courfeyrac wanted to bathe in alcohol to forget Combeferre's face and lose himself in the arms of another willing being.  
'We'll come.'  
'Oh Enjolras, just one thing?' Enjolras nodded, though he was looking at the door Grantaire left through again. 'Can I just touch you? I'm having a really hard time respecting boundaries and I'd like to at least not doubt whether or not it's okay for me to touch my friends.' Combeferre snorted.  
Bahorel raised an eyebrow. Courfeyrac dramatically slapped a hand over his face. 'Ah, why does it always come out so wrong.'  
'Sure you can Courf, I got your mark on me anyway, what harm would a bit more yellow make?' Courfeyrac pressed his lips to Enjolras' cheek. 'You're a doll. Don't know what the brightest is now though, your hair, my lips on your cheek or your future.'  
Enjolras actually blushed. He never took compliments or flirtative comments well.

The party was going at full force when they arrived. Marius was wearing a button-up with a well-loved Pink Floyd t-shirt underneath, courtesy of Courfeyrac suggesting he better show off as much of his personality as possible. Grantaire, Bahorel, Feuilly and Jehan had decided to do a predrink in order to be "properly in the mood" by the time they arrived so for now it was just the two of them, Bossuet and Musichetta. Joly had a shift at the hospital so he'd had to excuse himself. They wrestled their way through the crowd while Courfeyrac texted her. They were standing near the airco close to the bar. Courfeyrac's own favourite spot, close enough by the more fanatic dancers but close enough to the edge to get drinks and stay cool. The blonde girl was wearing a white gypsy dress with lots of straps running over her back but her arms and shoulders were bare, showing the many marks already on them. He gently put a hand on her side. 'Cosette!'  
The girl turned. Her surprise quickly faded and was replaced by a most enchanting smile. 'Courfeyrac!' She held up her hands, both palms already marked by two colours.  
'What's your colour? Than I can look for a place it fits.'  
'Yellow.'  
'Bracelet-system?' Courfeyrac nodded and they wrapped their fingers around each other's wrists. It was a pinkish kind of red, magenta? He'd have to see in better lighting.  
She hugged him immediately afterwards.  
'How are you?'  
'Great! You?' Her eyes darted to Marius who smiled insecurely from where he was talking to Musichetta.  
'Could be better, but well, life's a work in progress. If everything was great all of the time, it'd be dull.'  
'Very true', she nodded.  
'I need to introduce you to someone', Courfeyrac announced and beckoned Marius closer.  
'This hot piece of mancandy listens to the name of Marius. Marius, this sweet angel is named Cosette.'  
'Marius how?' Cosette asked. The smile had faded and she nervously played with the straw of her drink.  
'Marius George Edgard Louis Pontmercy.'  
'Cosette Euphrasie Fauchelevent.'  
The two looked at each other in silence.  
'You ehm, like Pink Floyd?' 'Oh yes, very much. He's so talented, not overhyped whatsoever.' 'I agree.' 'And, you're a potterhead yes? No?' She smiled and touched her deathly hallows earrings.' 'Yeah, I guess I am. Hey, would you like to talk?'  
'Yeah, talking is great! I love talking, it'd be… yes alright, let's go.'  
Poor Marius, so nervous. Courfeyrac only hoped he wouldn't accidentally switch to another language by accident. Though he didn't think Cosette would mind, she was chill. She'd just tell him to talk English.

Courfeyrac waved to a couple of students he recognised. They grinned and held up their beers to their brother wearing the same three coloured sash. Bossuet returned from the bar and handed Musichetta and Courfeyrac a beer. They talked and did a couple crazy dancing before the predrink party arrived.  
Jehan was wearing a floral striped t-shirt, arms completely covered in poetry and the colours from all the people who loved him were incorporated in gorgeous drawings. Grantaire was wearing his sash as well, the pink and blue lighting up violently underneath the bright spotlights. He grinned and shook hands with people everywhere. Perks of having been the party organiser of his student society for two years. Now he'd taken a backseat and was just a cantor, a function he did with great pleasure nonetheless.

He raised his hands to high five Bossuet. His t-shirt lifted however and Courfeyrac saw "as" in sharp writing on his back.  
'R, mon ami, you've arrived!'  
'Course I did Courf! You have a frown, turn it upside down.'  
'Grantaire, if you stretch, a part of Enjolras' name becomes visible.' He swallowed and looked around. 'He's not here yet, just thought you should know.'  
'Okay, I will think about. Now, let's dance!'

Courfeyrac found a most enchanting brunette, wearing a smaller sash signifying she was just a member of the economics society. She was pretty though, although she had the pouty lips of a spoiled child. But those pouty lips tasted like chocolate and felt like heaven, who was Courfeyrac to ignore such a treat? She pulled back laughing. 'You're not supposed to lick all the lipgloss off them, you crazy.' She absorbed him fully. 'PR? Wow, you must be quite popular.' 'I assure you that's not the sash, I have a great skillset, including my humor and my mouth.'  
'Oh, well. Forgive me for wanting proof of that.' He laughed carelessly and bend over to her ear. 'I could give you a little presentation, should you want some confirmation.' 'Well, we're taught to always be critical and check our sources.' 'Indeed.'  
For some reason he felt compelled to look up from the girl and found himself locking eyes with Combeferre. They'd arrived.  
The girl slid her hands across his back, urging him to start dancing again. 'Come on, you're on the dancefloor, standing there like a block of marble won't do.'  
They kept dancing and occasionally kissing until her giggling friends dragged her away.

Courfeyrac went back to the group. Many were missing by now. Bossuet and Musichetta had gone home already after Bossuet dropped his phone and gripped into some glass and Grantaire was dancing with a bunch of people Courfeyrac vaguely recognised. Marius and Cosette were back and were now talking with Enjolras and Jehan. Combeferre just turned away from the bar. 'Some party don't you think Ferre?'  
'Yeah, joyful enough and still not a single brawl.' Courfeyrac grinned, not knowing what to say but wanting to talk. It had been quite a while they had properly talked but Courfeyrac wanted to now. His inhibitions had fallen away by the alcohol and excited happy mood in the club. He wanted to show Combeferre they were still friends.

'Have you even danced yet?' Olivier, the study praeses of his society pressed two beers in his hands. 'Free keg!'  
Courfeyrac gladly accepted and turned back to Combeferre. 'No, I haven't.' Courfeyrac offered one of his beers making sure Combeferre couldn't accidentally touch him again. Combeferre looked at the cocktail and the beer. 'This won't mingle well.'  
'So? As you said, you don't have morning classes. You can get shitfaced.' 'I'd rather not.' 'We both know your alcohol tolerance is great.' 'Jealous?' 'Yes.'  
'Aren't you hot 'Ferre? I'm dying and I'm only wearing a t-shirt, you don't even have a single open button.' Combeferre looked uncomfortable and downed half of the beer before talking. 'I don't like to accidentally touch people so I don't really want to roll up the sleeves and well…. My name is quite big.' 'Really? I wonder if there's something behind the size of the name.'  
'Perhaps a great ego. Since it is their writing so perhaps it might as well be their feeling of self-importance', Combeferre smiled.

'Don't think so, R's is the size of his entire back and Enjolras is confident but not to say, well. And Jehan- damn, I really shouldn't be saying this it's their privacy, his is quite big as well and quite ugly, he doesn't want to refrain from wearing what he likes however so he draws on his arm to keep his privacy. So congratulations, you just accused your soulmate of having a giant ego. Good to have that theory gone before you'd start thinking you're matched with an ass.'  
'Interesting.'  
'I would hate it to have such a big mark. You have to go such lengths to hide it should you wish to hide it.'  
Why do they always keep going back to the soulmates topic? Cosette calls for him and he is happy to go. They thank him a million times over and talk about how similar they are and how amazing it is to have found each other.  
Then the girl is there again and by now Courfeyrac is more than happy to leave the party, his heart racing like a drum every time Combeferre decides to join their conversations. He doesn't want Combeferre to find out. It'd be so embarrassing. Who has a crush on his best friend? They're not nearly so similar as Musichetta, Joly and Bossuet or Cosette and Marius. He's not good enough nor ready.  
But he's ready for this girl tonight. Grantaire had been keeping an eye on them the whole evening, noting very much how much Combeferre's demeanour changed once Courfeyrac left. He took a deep sigh an pulled at the collar of his shirt. Bold round letters became visible but Grantaire couldn't read them from where he stood. So that was why Comberre was dressed so warmly, he had a big name just like Jehan and himself. Combeferre downed the rest of his beer and threw the plastic cup on the floor before rolling up his sleeves. He had a couple of marks but not particulary many or big except for a smear on the inside of his left underarm and two bright, glittering and glistening hands in the same colour as the smear. He couldn't make out the colour, the disco lighting reflected it too much but Grantaire could swear they glittered. Could marks even glitter?  
Grantaire felt betrayed by faith, certainly if anyone was flamboyant or artistic enough to have a glittering colour than it would be him or... He remembered Courfeyrac falling into Combeferre's arms before running away on that dreadful day. But Courfeyrac was yellow. He had left yellow on everyone. But how many persons had actually fallen into Combeferre's arms since then? Combeferre was oftentimes complaining about the cold, even in incredibly hot places like the library so he wouldn't have his sleeves rolled up that much except for people to leave a mark.

Grantaire crept up to the remnants of the group and dared glance at Enjolras. His golden hair was loose, his curls falling in front of his eyes as he was dancing with Bahorel who was twirling him around in true 50's style. it still looked quite smooth despite Enjolras' stiffness so Bahorel must put quite some energy behinds his pulls and pushes to make Enjolras move well. He was laughing and his face shone with a small gleam of sweat. He shouldn't be looking this good sweaty, shouldn't look so ravishing at this hour of the night, Grantaire wasn't surprised though.  
He knew he wasn't attractive, especially not when he was tired with his face blotched and blushing from drinks but the bad lighting concealed a lot and he was told he had a charming presence. But Enjolras, Enjolras was a god in any lighting and his figure didn't need to be adorned with a sash to draw attention. Narrow hips, broad shoulders an a tall stature did that. He seemed intouchable.  
So close, so forever lost to him.

 **II** **ENDNOTES BECAUSE THE REAL ENDNOTE SECTION IS TOO SMALL II**

 _\- Student Societies (extra information)_  
The student society system is based on the Belgian Student Society System though similar ones exist throughout Europe. it is not to be compared with American frats and sorrorities. There are societies linked to a certain education in college like Politics or Philosophy or ar independant and focussed on a certain thing that transcends college educations like "Mother Teapot" the essence of which is to yes, get together and have a jolly english high tea together. Almost all these societies have a scutcheon with a coat of arms, a slogan and certain colours in a determined order(which is important otherwise they'd soon run out of colour options).  
The leadership of these societies is called a praesidium, a group of by their society elected students. They wear a larger sash than the normal members bearing the coat of arms, their function, years of service and their names. Some functions are required like the head(praeses) and his exacutive committee, other functions can be added as much as needed/wanted but common ones are party, study (sells summaries of the classes), PR, culture, cantor (leads cantusses and keeps the drunken people on cantusses in check).  
They are very popular in certain circles, especially those who are into nightlife and involved in their society. There's a certain stereotype about them being all party, no study and very social just as everyone involved in any kind of student society/frat/etc anywhere though they have to have a certain amount of good grades and have to go out often because it's required they help at the activities of their society.

 _\- Colours and Meanings (warning: contains mild spoilers for Courfeyrac so I put him at the end)_

-Jehan: purple  
Sensitive and compassionate, understanding and supportive, thinking of others before yourself - you are the person others come to for help - being needed motivates you but sometimes people take advantage of are a gentle and free spirit. Being a personality color purple, you have a peaceful and tranquil quality and a quiet dignity about you. People are drawn to your charismatic and alluring are creative and like to be individual in most of your endeavors, including your dress and home decoration - you love the unconventional.

-Combeferre: Turquoise  
If this is your favorite color, you are friendly and approachable, easy to communicate with. You are compassionate, empathetic and caring. You usually have highly developed intuitive abilities. You seek spiritual fulfillment, and you are often an evolved or 'old' soul. Although presenting a cool and calm exterior, and appearing to be stable and balanced, beneath the surface you may be in chaos, on an emotional roller coaster ride. You are a clear thinker and good decision maker.

-Bahorel: Orange  
You are warm, optimistic, extroverted and often flamboyant. You are friendly, good-natured and a generally agreeable person. You are assertive and determined rather than aggressive - having a personality color orange means you are more light-hearted and less intense than those who love red. You thrive on human social contact and social gatherings, bringing all types together. As a personality color orange you enjoy partying and socializing orange people are the life of the party, the uninhibited performer! You are often the loud talker in a get great satisfaction from helping others and they find you inspiring with your vitality and positive energy. You are tolerant and accepting of others just the way they are.

-Cosette: Magenta  
With a vivid imagination and creative ability, you are a non-conformist who sees life from a different point of view. This will show up in artistic pursuits or in the decoration of your own home. You are cheerful and optimistic and love to motivate others to achieve their best. You are a compassionate, kind and considerate person who tries to make everyone around you feel better.

-Eponine: Black

-Grantaire: pinkish violet  
If pink is your color, you are loving, kind, generous and sensitive to the needs of others.  
You also have a need for this caring to be reciprocated as you do tend to neglect yourself in your determination to take care of the needs of challenge for you is to become more self-reliant and to learn to love yourself, then love and acceptance will be returned to you deepest need is to be accepted and loved unconditionally. Violet encourages creative pursuits and seeks inspiration and originality through its creative endeavors. It likes to be unique, individual and independent, not one of the crowd. Artists, musicians, writers, poets and psychics are all inspired by violet and its magic and mystery. Violet is the color of the humanitarian, using its better judgment to do good for others.

-Bossuet: yellow

-Feuilly and Joly: indigo  
With indigo as your favorite color, you are honest, compassionate and understanding. Integrity is extremely important to you. You are conscientious and reliable - a good person to have around in a crisis. Justice is important to you - you'll defend people's rights until the end. You have an addictive personality and may be a workaholic

\- Enjolras: red (this colour has so many stereotypes and all of them apply, you know the colour meaning)

\- Marius: blue  
If this is your favorite color you are conservative, reliable and trustworthy - you are quite trusting of others although you are very wary in the beginning until you are sure of the other person. At the same time, you also have a deep need to be trusted. You are genuine and sincere.

-Courfeyrac: gold  
You radiate charisma, personality and individuality, making others feel relaxed and valued in your company. You are a loving and compassionate person who shows great personal warmth to all you meet seeking and giving unconditional love and understanding. You relish the attention, respect, warmth and friendliness that you tend to receive from others in return for your kindness, compassion and love. You appreciate life completely - with your optimistic attitude you are not happy to passively sit back and wait for things to happen - you must be an active participant. You take your responsibilities seriously. You are a rescuer and love to be needed but one of your lessons is to learn to love yourself first - you live from your heart and are always busy putting the needs of others first. You don't like to draw attention to yourself - you prefer to be in the background. As a personality color blue, you are sentimental and love things from the past. You have a thirst for knowledge in whatever area interests you.


	2. Chapter 2

**Some pop culture references snuck in the previous chapter and this one, I don't even remember where they all came from.**

 **I did leave some loose ends and some characters remained unbonded but this fic did take place in a three month period, I don't think it would've been believable if everyone found their soulmate within three months**

'Are you trying to do the studying-thing again?'  
'Well, technically speaking I am a student, what's in a name? But yes, why?'  
He stretched tiredly, making noises of a tiny kitten. Courf was adorable, he knew it, hadn't shied away from exploiting it.  
'Oh, no reason, you've just been prodding candles again.'  
'I have not!' He objected while subtly slipping his coated fingers behind his back. Grantaire raised an eyebrow and looked at the desk, pieces of wax shaped in cubicles and heart lay on top of his closed book and the map with class notes was laying under his laptop.  
'Courf, when you're watching videos on how to study and they suggest making habits like lighting a candle when you start like a proper Pavlov dog they don't intend you to procrastinate by playing with it.'  
'I know! Just say it, I'm a horrible, awful excuse of a student. It's just…. There's so many foreign terms it is frying my brain just by looking at it.'

'How was it yesterday with that girl?'  
'Nice, pretty great actually. We were both waisted but present enough to make it good. We bonded over not liking the pressure of bonds, free love and other vague hippie loose moral kinds of things. You had any fun?'  
'Nah, it's just me, myself and I. You know, solo riding 'till I die.'  
'How were Enjolras and Combeferre? Enj likes the occasional party but he wasn't really feeling it when I left.'  
Grantaire barked a laugh. 'He had fun alright, but Combeferre though- Courf, are you positively sure you guys aren't meant to be?'  
'Why would you ask?' Courfeyrac narrowed his eyes.  
'Have you touched Combeferre at all since-?'  
'I- yes, when I fell. Why?'  
'Where did you touch him?'  
'Courfeyrac closed his eyes, a frown appearing on his chizzled face while he replayed the memory that had been disturbing his dreams ever since.  
'His elbow area on the right arm and his wrist area on the other. It might look messy though since I was falling.'  
'It might, you didn't look?'  
'Had to leave, remember?'  
'Odd.'  
'Odd, R? What is going on?'  
'You've never worn a t-shirt since. Matter of fact, you even roll your sleeves a different way as of late. Now they always end under your elbows. So you show your skin and marks like you don't mind the marks or creating new ones. You give the impression of being open but you're hiding his, aren't you? You know you can't keep hiding them Courf, it's almost summer. We go on holidays together, you walk around shirtless half the time to show of the tan you acquired while on lifeguard duty to woo girls and boys on your free days.'  
He did. Or at least he used to. He hadn't thought of it yet. He tried not to dwell on a great many things lately. Life was enough of a struggle as it currently was, he'd be sat on the couch with a truckload of ice cream if he would allow his mind to wonder about future problems as well.  
He sighed and rolled up his sleeves. There was no use in hiding it for Grantaire, he was bound to see it anyway.  
Grantaire didn't gasp or say much, just held his freckled muscly arm next to his own. There was a pretty turquoise colour with the transparency of an eyeshadow colour on his arm. Grantaire pressed Courfeyrac's mark but Courfeyrac focussed on Grantaire. His arm seemed childlike compared to Grantaire's. Scars from fights, past selfharm and cigarette butts hid under dark hair but their paleness stood out on his Mediterranean skin.

'Are you certain your colour is yellow?'  
'Are you sure the grass is green? No wait, don't answer that. I'm not picking up a fight about colour with an artist again. Grantaire, I've left yellow marks on everyone.'  
'Have you seen the marks you made on Combeferre?'  
'As I said: no. He always wears long sleeves and at the time I panicked too much to look. Why do you keep asking? I'm not nagging about how you have to touch Enjolras.'  
'You don't because you're a friend and you hate touching without permission since it means possibly invading someone's life.'  
'Yeah, okay, that too.'  
'I think I saw big golden marks on his arms on the spots you mentioned.'  
Grantaire had touched them as well, asking if he could see the pretty colour whilThat would be e suggesting it would have been a great colour for Enjolras.  
'That would be drawing the Apollo/Icarus parallels just a tad too far. I don't think Enjolras would fit the bill for gold though, based on what the government website says about the colours.'  
Grantaire pretended obliviousness and asked what kind of amazing personality one would need to have to earn this expensive colour.  
Combeferre kept drinking with Grantaire while the other remaining part of the group danced.  
'I've never seen an unbonded person with such an opaque mark, have you?'  
Comberre was drunk. He wouldn't be this directed if he wasn't either drunk, desperate or both. _Is my mark on Courfeyrac as intense?  
_ Grantaire couldn't lie so he had to watch Combeferre's heart shatter to pieces as he answered negatively. They both continued on pretending it wasn't about Courfeyrac.  
'Perhaps you accidentally met your soulmate?' Combeferre shrugged.

'I know you care for him Courf, are you sure you are incapable of the four letter word?'  
'Love has four letters. But then again, so has beer.' Grantaire sighed.  
'Enjolras wants us at the protest regarding the rejection of the transgender professor at the biochemics department this afternoon. You haven't forgotten, have you? I heard there'll be a camera crew.'  
'Probably some school newspaper looking for some angry student protest to film for their online platform.'

It wasn't, it was _big_. The boys had been so busy lately that they hadn't visited many news sites but almost every journal Enjolras had mailed had published an article about the problem. While they had been working on the document regarding soulmates the senate had announced they would be talking about the status, facilities and rights of trans people.  
A huge anti-movement and a large group of sympathisers had shown up. Enjolras was glad so many had taken an interest and awareness about the topic had been spread. He'd been fine with this being a local small thing when Combeferre suggested he should pick the cases he wanted to put in a national or global context and not immediately blow every case of injustice out of proportion. Enjolras spoke well in front of a group but he didn't excel at keeping them calm. Not excelling being a complete understatement, he was great at rallying people and evoking very strong emotions which wasn't necessarily a great thing when speaking in front of a divided he crowd.  
The group stuck close to the makeshift stage on which Enjolras stood. It wouldn't be the first time people came looking for a fight and after a few bad experiences they'd decided that they'd guard Enjolras to prevent him from being attacked or hitting back. They all had to stick to at least one other person in the group and run if they didn't see anyone else after two minutes. The less people got arrested or had to go to the hospital the better and the longer they stayed, the bigger the odds.

A boy in the crowd saw a familiar flash of red hair. He got closer. It was the boy from the tube with the eccentric clothes. His arms were completely covered, the spot where he thought he'd seen his name was particularly dark. Did he not wish to find his soulmate? Did he mind the ugly writing? It wouldn't be strange considering the gorgeous drawing and elegant writing that made him a living piece of art.  
He'd thought someone with a handwriting like that would be sweet and gentle but he looked nothing short of passionate and had this ferocious look in his eyes like he would fight anyone who dared interrupt the blond speaker.  
He took a deep breath and nodged and shoved until his blazer hit the ground. He got even closer and tried to showcase the name. It was quite selfish and inappropriate to solve romantic struggles during a protest about things that actually mattered but if he let the boy slip through his fingers this time he had no idea how he'd find him again.

The ginger was too enraptured by the speech but a curly haired boy winked at him and nodded reassuringly before moving over to the ginger. He was hugging him and whispering in his ear. His heart sank. Did he have a boyfriend? He didn't want to tear a relationship apart, he didn't even want his soulmate if it came at that expense.  
But than why would the other boy wink?  
Jehan looked around, eyes meeting those of his apparent soulmate. He was taken aback by how he was almost exactly his type. Messy brown hair, strong jaw, striped pants and dress shoes. He recognised his calligraphed name on his arm… _His arm.  
_ He hadn't even noticed at first but one arm was a prosthetic from the elbow down and the hand of his other one missed a few fingers. That explained a lot. His next feeling was curiousity: how did this boy – though he wasn't really a boy, he probably had a good couple of years on Jehan's nineteen year old self- know that Jehan was his soulmate? He had everything covered, literally.  
Then the dread washed over him. How must he feel! What kind of impression must it make on him to see his mate all covered up? No, Jehan decided, he wasn't going to feel guilty. He knew when he started covering up that the chance of meeting his soulmate would decrease just like the chances increased of his soulmate pouting when they met. He had decided he didn't mind. He wanted his privacy, he liked writing beautiful poetry on his skin and letting Grantaire draw on him early in the morning when Courfeyrac was still sound asleep.  
'Hey.' 'Hye.'  
'I'm Jehan.' 'I know.'  
Jehan bit his lip. 'I… I'm sorry, I don't know yours I'm sorry.'  
Wild Hair got nervous and took a step back. 'No wait, not like that. I'm sorry, I can't read it. I have no idea who the name belongs to.'  
'Me, I recognised my handwriting when we first met. I'm Nicholas.'  
'We met before?'  
'Yeah, we met in the tube. You were getting out while I was getting in. I thought I'd recognised my name and now I came here for the protest and recognised you.'  
'You're British? I'm sorry, your accent sounds a bit off and no one uses the word tube around here.'  
'Moved here two years ago.' The conversation felt a bit forced but at the same time very natural. 'Would you like to touch?' 'Yeah, I'd like that very much.'  
They bumped arms and were blown away by how bright the purple and red looked. Red, he had another red mark now. Nicholas had seemed friendly and adorable but Jehan was really curious when he would get to see some of the other sides of his character the red promised.  
'Oh my god, I didn't know a colour could be so-'  
'No!'  
A shot rung. A deadly silence fell over them. Jehan turned around. A bullet hole on the wall Enjolras had been standing in front of but Enjolras wasn't to be seen.  
Then hell broke loose. People were fighting and running and the police officer who seemed only to patrol this small area was there immediately.  
A shooting? Somebody was seriously so against whatever Enjolras said that they had attempted to kill him? Jehan ran for the stage. He only saw the group retreating out of a corner of his eye. He glanced and counted heads. They were complete. He grasped Nicholas' hand and ran, trying not think about the warm tingly feeling that spread from his hand to his heart.  
Once they were in the clear Jehan looked at his phone. Combeferre and Enjolras' place  
'Hey, I'm – well, my friends are going to the flat of a friend of mine. I really need to go and see them. I now it must be super weird and uncomfortable to just follow a random stranger to a strange place and I won't ask that of you, I'd just really like your number.'  
'You can have my number, but I am willing to go.'  
'You are?'  
'Yeah, I just hope you're not a psycho who wants to kill his soulmate. Leap of faith.' He rubbed his thumb over Jehan's hand and Jehan almost melted. How could a hand gesture feel so intimate and right? Was this the bond? Was this attraction? He felt a poem bubbling up but supressed it. Really not the moment.  
'Leap of faith', Jehan repeated with a smile.  
The mood in the flat was better than was to be expected. Everyone was scared but mostly pissed that anyone had dared to shoot Enjolras. Courfeyrac was raging about freedom of speech, boorish conservatives and gun laws. Combeferre was talking to a shaken Musichetta and Bahorel, Marius and Feuilly were discussing safety measures and how sad of a world it was they lived in.  
Cosette, Bossuet and Joly were discussing the affair over drinks, looking so mad they'd throw the glasses at the first person they'd see. Cosette was apparently very involved with activism, mentioning famous protests and protests she'd witnessed.  
Bahorel was the first to notice Jehan. 'Thank god! You came out unscratched as well, we lost you there for a sec and who's the boy?'  
Musichetta and Combeferre looked up. 'This is Nicholas and he's my soulmate.' 'What! No way, one hell of a timing I gotta say! Well, no time like the present, welcome', Bahorel laughed. Combeferre and Musichetta smiled. Cosette's group drifted closer. 'Hey, Nicholas. Long time no see!'  
Nicholas turned towards Bossuet, a genuine smile tugging at his lips. 'You've got to be kidding What a coincidence!' The two of them hugged.  
'We missing something?' Feuilly inquired.  
'This chap and I went to high school together.'  
'We were awful. We ended up in the hospital so much they suggested buying a stamp card.'  
'Still sorry for your fingers though, you already had only one good arm to start with.'  
' It's okay, you can really stop apologising. The firework was a bad idea.'  
'A terrible idea really, by then you must have known Bossuet and his luck', Joly laughed. 'Yeah, well, I was overestimating yours and mine.'

Jehan approached Courfeyrac who was listening with amusement. 'Hey, where are Enjolras and Grantaire?'  
'Talking thing over in his room.'  
'Them? Talking? As in laying their cards on the table and having an honest conversation?'  
'Yes?'  
'And you didn't appoint anyone to monitor them?'  
A beat.  
'Should we have?' Courfeyrac asked innocently with slight panic in his eyes. 'I mean, we wanted to give them privacy and their conversation was long overdue… But speaking of… Given their history of fighting and dancing over each others emotions it might not have been the greatest of plans.'  
'Why privacy though? What has changed that they suddenly wanted to talk?'  
Courfeyrac stepped a bit closer, lowering his voice: 'It was Grantaire that saw the shooter and pulled Enjolras down. Not a second later the bullet hit the wall. Grantaire was all covered and Enjolras has Grantaire's colour splattered all over him at random bare spots.'  
'How bright is the colour?'  
'Soulmate bright, I know it. Just as dark as Musichetta, Joly and Bossuet's.'  
'Oh.'  
'Even Enjolras couldn't be oblivious to the fact that it were no average marks.'  
'Poor R, I hope Enjolras, somewhere deep down there, doesn't completely despise the idea of soulmates.'  
'Poor Enjolras you mean. R was looking incredibly pissed. He left just as bright marks. Meaning that he has just as much impact on Enjolras as Enjolras on him. He spent all this time thinking Enjolras hated him or barely liked him while it is public knowledge that R loves him. Enjolras must have R's name, he must have known and he chose to withhold that information from him. He chose to keep R thinking that even in a life designed around soulmates his love was one sided.'  
'Grantaire has every right to be pissed though.'  
'I care about Enjolras. R can be really horrible when he's angry and Enjolras is bad with emotions. He's as stubborn as a mule and has the emotional capabilities of a stone. He only knows Grantaire considers him attractive and he's in denial over the truthfulness of a bond not chosen by him and his partner. He probably things telling R was taking away his freedom of choice and that he couldn't have a relationship because other people are still struggling and suffering. You know him, he wouldn't want to be in a relationship in which he would neglect his partner because of his causes. Neither would he want to neglect his causes for a relationship. We might think it's possible to do both, but he might not.'  
Jehan frowned, shaking his head. Enjolras could be so exasperating sometimes. He really loved him, but if that was true his way of thinking was so so wrong and so incredibly flawed.  
'It's just so stupid.'  
'He's right though. Courfeyrac has the amazing ability to guess exactly why someone acts the way they do.'  
Courfeyrac jumped, clasping his hands over his heart. 'Combeferre, you startled me.'  
'You know, Ferre?' Jehan asked.  
'I do, he told me.'  
'You told me you didn't.' Courfeyrac felt betrayed. His one best friend kept secrets from him and the other chose not to tell him as well.  
'Not immediately. He only told me a week ago.'  
'Why didn't you tell me?'  
'I thought Enjolras would tell you. Besides, it was not my story to tell.'  
Combeferre did keep secrets like no other, but not from him. His eyes pricked and a lump started forming in his throat. Is this what they had come to?  
'Fine, I mean. Of course. I would hate it when people leaked my secrets as well. He had every right to keep it silent it's just… Well, you do understand you're out of the betting pool right? You had much more information than the rest of us.' He tried to smile but his joke fell between the three of them and vanished into nothingness.  
'It's not because I know two people are supposed to end up together that I can exactly predict when it will happen. Nevertheless I agree, I was the only one aware of Enjolras' sentiments on the matter and guessing when a one sided love turns into a reciprocated loving relationship is much harder than predicting when two men who love each other will get .'

together

'Who wins the bet than?' Jehan wondered.  
'Marius. Marius does.'  
'Marius was in the bet?'  
'Yeah.'  
'When did he guess it would happen.'  
'Within the month. All the other guesses started at July, most even later.'  
'Hey Marius, come over here if you please? Bahorel, Feuilly, you can come as well.'  
'If they come out of that room a couple, you have just won five hundred.'  
'What- really? Cosette and I can go on so many dates together with that amount. Or we could go to Russia so I can finally speak it for real.'  
'How did you know it would happen so soon though bro?' Bahorel asked.  
Marius meekly smiled. 'The odds that a soulmate bond is one sided is incredibly small, like being struck by lightning small. Considering that and knowing that he'd see his soulmate every week I guessed it wouldn't take long. You can only spend so much time next to each other while hiding the truth and refraining from any touch.'  
'Kid has a very solid point, I'm frightened sometimes by how equally oblivious and clever he can be', Feuilly sighed.  
'I'm standing right next to you, you know? And should I take that as a compliment or?'  
'Take it however you like. I still don't know why we decided this would be a bet with all the money going to the winner instead of dividing it under the participants based on how accurate their guesses were.'  
'Because everyone was completely convinced they would win at the time', Bahorel explained.  
The other conversation ended so they all sat down and chatted over a couple of drinks. Feuilly and Joly left because their shift would begin soon, Musichetta, Bossuet, Jehan and Nicholas left because the first couple had a private date night planned and the other couple thought a dinner would make a great first date.  
As the door closed Bahorel looked at his watch. 'Okay, they've been in there three hours now, I'm gonna go up and listen in. Check if they at least haven't killed each other.'  
Combeferre looked like he wanted to protest but Courfeyrac shook his head.  
'We need to know.'  
Bahorel reappeared grinning from ear to ear.  
'They're not killing each other alright, au contraire mes amis, were they boy and girl I'd say they're making life.'  
'What! No way!'  
'I'm rich!'  
'You're what?'  
'We had a betting pool', Combeferre explained.  
'And you participated? I expected better from you.'  
Marius started stammering, looking for an excuse. She'd only known him for a day and he was already ruining it.  
'How much?'  
'Five hundred.'  
'Nice job, well done sweetie.' She pecked him on the cheek making him turn red.  
'We should leave, shouldn't we? We should give them a bit of privacy when they come out.'  
They agreed and went to a local pizzeria. Things were comfortable. The horrible events of the afternoon disappearing with alcohol, pizza and laughter.  
Combeferre seemed happy, he talked and laughed just like the rest of them. It had been a while since he saw Combeferre happy. Almost a month. A month had passed and they hadn't had one moment alone, he hadn't made Combeferre laugh once and Combeferre had kept secrets from him. It was so unlike their usual behaviour.  
Even worse was the fact that by avoiding Combeferre he'd also accidentally avoided Enjolras who had obviously been in dire need of a friend who understood human emotions. Combeferre did but he was a strong advocate of "only listen, never comment or critique". Courfeyrac didn't, Courfeyrac called Enjolras out on his bullshit. Courfeyrac told Enjolras how other people's minds worked.  
He tried to ignore the problems between them. He ignored the lump in his throat every time he realised he was losing his best friend. He wanted to focus on the now, on this precious happy moment. He took out his phone.  
'Hey 'rel, look over here.'  
'No man, you there with your phone again? Man, I never look great on camera. Doesn't do me justice.'  
'Too great a beauty, camera can't take it is that right?' Courfeyrac grinned.  
'Exactly right.'  
When Courfeyrac's grin grew even more so that it threatened to split his face in two, Bahorel lowered his proudly raised head in suspicion. 'You're filming this aren't you you little shit?'  
'I might.'  
He quickly hid his phone and blew Bahorel a kiss. 'How you wound and taunt me, I don't know how I survive.'  
'Well, you know what they say about weeds right?'  
Bahorel looked at Marius who blew his own joke by turning red. 'Too stubborn to be destroyed.'  
Bahorel laughed.  
'If I'm weed than our dearly beloved Courfeyrac must surely be a rat. Likes to live in cities, can be found in the gutter and is the cause of all misery.'  
'Excuse me, I'm not in the gutter that often. I have to be really properly drunk. And correction: all medieval misery. Times long gone, not so accurate anymore. Now I'm incredibly useful, always working my butt of to help find safe cures and pretty make-up for humans.'  
'For now, soon you'll get rights to go back to your ratty existence thanks to the ban on animal testing', Cosette smiled.

'Yeah, missed my ratty existence. Those were the days man, freeloading on big ships, frequenting every house I liked without paying rent, pity my tenants always died but oh, collateral damage one learns to live with. Easy come, easy go, no attachments.'  
'Is that the rat or Courf speaking?'  
Courfeyrac gasped in mock hurt. He couldn't keep it up though and started smiling.  
'I thought I was the rat.'  
'Go have some experiment done to you.'  
'Ferre could always experiment anatomy on .'  
Combeferre choked on his drink. It was nowhere near a good joke, or even a plausible one. The anatomical build of almost every living creature was documented meaning he didn't need to dissect animals.  
'I'm a docter, not a veterinarian.'  
'Surely some things are the same?'  
'In different locations and of different volumes yes. Though most creatures tend to have a heart. So you'd make a great study object.'  
Everyone oohed and Bahorel high fived Combeferre.  
Courfeyrac pouted.  
'Are you talking about humans, rats or me?'  
'Well, two of those species have hearts.'  
'I feel shocked and betrayed, Auguste Combeferre. Methinks thou werest my freind.'  
Combeferre couldn't hide a smile.  
'Wasn't it you that claimed that friends showed their love by taunting each other?'  
'You remember too well, oh bespectacled one.'

.

11:06 AM

 **CourfRockYa** : I wanna see a movie  
 **captainrogers:** why don't you **  
R:** hes askig who wnats to join him **  
CourfRockYa** : you're a rotten crowd, I'm worth the whole damn bunch put together. I always tag along when you guys want to do something  
 **CookFerre:** which one?  
 **CourfRockYa:** dunno, civil war, xmen, jungle book  
 **R:** want them all #struggles  
 **BoxClassHero:** you typin in hashtags now R? another man has fallen prey  
 **BoxClassHero:** xmen and jungle book btw, already promised someone I'd go to cw with them  
 **R** : same, cw is a thing I've promised to watch with those two persons and only them  
 **BoxClassHero:** hehe  
 **R:** hehe

2: 03 PM

 **PeterPan:** prioritising cap 'n x  
 **Maricuddles:** jungle book and xman  
 **Cosette:** ditto

 **captainrogers:** Since when is she added to the group?  
 **captainrogers:** Not that you're not welcome, you completely are  
 **SurrogateMom:** xmen and cw  
 **captainrogers:** Jungle Book by the way.  
 **JollyJoly** : noooo, now we're gonna have to go to jungle book  
 **Cosette:** why?  
 **CookFerre** : Enjolras is oftentimes not the one with the most popular opinions when we're deciding on going somewhere, but since he so often skips because he always has things to do we immediately prioritise his opinion when he does want to go to something fun and social.  
 **captainrogers** : A theater is the polar opposite of social  
 **Cosette:** ever been to the movies with your partner Enjolras?  
 **captainrogers:** Never had boyfriend till now  
 **R** : arghfj  
 **captainrogers** : Grantaire why are you making high pitched noises?  
 **captainrogers:** He's lying on the ground  
 **captainrogers:** Is he broken? How do I fix this?  
 **Cosette:** stop typing and looking at him like you're some host of a wildlife show. ACTION

 **CourfRockYa:** fools in love, isn't it sweet  
 **SurrogateMom:** when are we going dear?  
 **CourfRockYa:** I'm in the Musain atm so I'm gonna hang a poll in the backroom, since everyone comes here at least once a day ya all can come and choose a date.

 **R:** its official zomg cantbelieve it… allm that time

'Guys, remember when we agreed to go to each other's gala?'  
'As we did.'  
'Well, mine's in three weeks. I know it's a short time notice but I wondered if you'd come.'  
'Of course we will Marius, besides, three weeks is plenty of time.'  
'I think he apologised in regards to us', Musichetta explained. 'One does not find a dress easily.'  
'Marius, could I ask a friend to come? She hasn't been to a single one yet this year I think.'  
'Which friend?' 'Eponine.'  
'You know Eponine?'  
'A long time. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised you know her. You two act so similar sometimes.'  
'I went to high school with her, used to have the same employer.' Grantaire bit his cheek. 'Anyways, she's been to my gala.'  
'Yeah? Than we must know her', Combeferre pointed out.  
'The one with the black hair in the black high-low dress with sheer fabric and lace.'  
'The one with the legs for days and the dangerous look in her eyes?' Combeferre guessed.  
'That very one', Grantaire nodded proudly.  
'Some people have a resting bitch face, she has a "just try anything funny and I'll fuck you up" face. She's sweet though, very protective of her friends.'  
'Wouldn't call it sweet Cosette, you might mislead them. It's rather caring than sweet.'

It wasn't until a week later while Courfeyrac was furiously slamming his fingers on the keyboard of his laptop that he was confronted again with the subject.  
Cosette brought four giant mugs to the counter of the Musain and shoved the other five away. 'So, who are you taking?'  
'Who?'  
'To the gala, Courf.'  
'What gala?'  
'Marius' gala, you promised to come remember?'  
'Oh, sorry. I wasn't immediately listening. I was finishing my sentence. How fare you, dear Cosette? To answer your question I didn't think we'd require dates. Thought we'd go as a group.'  
'We are, but next to Feuilly, Bahorel, Combeferre and you everyone of our group is in a relationship.'  
'Weren't you taking a female friend?'  
'I've matched her and Feuilly already.'  
'I thought we were friends!' He abandoned his laptop and closed his hands around the mug that still contained coffee of the strongest blend. He pouted before bringing the mug to his lips.  
'Yuck, turned cold', he explained while spitting the contents back in it. Cosette rolled her eyes and put the mug aside.  
'Eponine can be quite… strong. I put her up with Feuilly because he's least likely to evoke something, he knows how to treat a date properly- you too, but she likes to have things her ways and in her time. You two might enjoy each other's company but you act too intimate, she needs to feel free. Feuilly's fine with everything, at least for one evening, they share the same snarky humour, they can fraternize about their tough jobs, the ridiculous fanciness of it all.'  
'What fanciness? It's just a gala. It's a simple black tie and one glass of champagne and a picture before the high heels go off and people start to drink beer and dance.'  
'You've been to gala's since you were a child Courf, your father's a banker and your mom an industrial engineer. You don't see it the way others do.'  
'I know I'm privileged but it has never interfered with my ability to get along, I'm not a snob. Or at least I try very very much to avoid ever thinking or acting that way. If I have aced that way please tell-'  
'No Courf, it's not that. Some people are simply more comfortable around people who've been through the same things.'  
'Okay, I guess.'  
'Would you mind going with Combeferre?'  
'Combeferre, why would I go with Combeferre? I mean, we're friends and all but-'  
'Because I thought I'd be fun to keep the group as small as possible with everyone knowing each other. A friends date is not so bad, is it?'  
'No, it isn't. You're right. If Combeferre agrees, it's fine with me.'  
'Perfect! Oh and Courfeyrac, Marius failed to tell but it's masquerade themed.'  
'Nice, I believe I've got a mask laying around from another one so I'm good.'  
'Great. I'm so glad you agreed.'  
'Why wouldn't I agree? Ferre is my best friend along with Enjolras. You know they call us the triumvirate, don't you?'  
'What, you go around killing and battling each other?'  
'What?'  
'Just teasing, I minor in history and this semester I have a class about antiquity', she giggled before pressing a kiss on his cheek.  
'I know doll, they all call you the triumvirate. I must say though, besides the protest I haven't noticed much of the three of you acting like triplets. But Marius says it had to do with all the disrupted dynamics after the soulbonding. But it'll be better now that all problems are off the table and almost everyone has found their mate or partner, right?'  
'Yeah, totes. I'm really glad everyone figured their stuff out ya know? You could feel the tension sometimes.'  
'See you around, Courf.'  
'Laters! Tell Marius I said hi.'  
'I will!'  
Once she was out of side he let his head fall in his hands. He pulled his hair.  
He had to get his shit together. Otherwise what was supposed to be one of the easiest and most fun dates of his life would turn out to be the most awkward one. He ordered a coffee with a teeth rotting amount of cream and syrup while mulling over several options.

Nobody was surprised by his change of behaviour, probably because he'd only been behaving oddly for a month. His friends were used to Courfeyrac swapping places for meetings on end. He oftentimes sat beside someone he realised he'd given a bit less attention the weeks before or someone who seemed like they needed a companion to cheer them up.  
Sometimes Courfeyrac was this overflowing vessel of ideas and sometimes he really didn't know how to contribute. This strongly varying pattern never made it conspicuous when he did intentionally remain in the back of the room both literally and figuratively and the same disinterest was shown when he sat beside Enjolras right in front of Combeferre during the meeting that evening. He'd composed a long list of points he wanted to talk about regarding topics Enjolras would discuss. When those moments came, Combeferre noted everything down, objecting and agreeing an incredible amount as per usual. God, he seemed so happy and relaxed for once Courfeyrac wanted to keep that look on his face. It just felt so right to have the three of them at the top of the table again discussing everything. He met Cosette's gaze from across the table. She smiled at him, raising her shoulders. 'Well there I have it I guess."  
The meeting ended with Enjolras and Grantaire bickering about a very minor detail.  
'Your point might be good but that word just has to be changed.'  
'Why, it's the correct word.'  
'It has a negative connotation. Yes, it can be used as a synonym but you'd better go for something a bit more vague. If people can interpret you might attract a bigger audience and the stronger and more radical it sounds the more people, even some who are convinced of the same thing might feel less inclined to support you.'  
'R, come on. You're being difficult. And why didn't you tell me last night when I was adding this point?'  
'I was trying to save the poor innocent pancake you were slowly killing. God, I went to the bathroom for like, two minutes and you already ruined it sweetheart. We'll really need to work on it. It isn't that hard. Combeferre makes great progress.'  
'Combeferre makes great progress at what?'  
'Cooking and baking of course, he did take up that offer for private lessons.'  
'Really?'  
'I figured it might come in handy in the future', Combeferre shrugged.  
'Don't worry though Courfeyrac, nobody makes Italian like you, except maybe me. If I'm allowed to be on equal footing.'  
'You totally are, R', Courfeyrac grinned.  
'Pun noted, fashionboy.'

'Jehan, tell me how handsome I am.'  
'You do know how Narcissus found his end, right?'  
'C'mon.'  
'Dazzling Courfeyrac, like a nineteenth century dandy. Now don't go picking up underage Adonislike boys.'  
'Jehan, do try to be a bit more subtle when you're reciting a burns list.'  
'I'm sorry, can't help myself.'  
'You're a wicked tease for someone who looks like they came from heaven.'  
'I didn't come from heaven but I did scratch my knees a couple of times while crawling out of hell.'  
'For some reason I believe you.'  
'Of course you do, just look at me. The evidence is right there: I'm devilishly handsome.'  
Courfeyrac sniggered and patted Jehan on the shoulder. His red hair was in a voluptuous bun. A venetian mask hung around his neck. It had been plain white but Jehan had managed to give it a batik look with five pastel colours and afterwards he'd decorated it with a silver and golden marker. It was truly terrific. Jehan wore the same three piece suit he'd worn when he dressed up as the Joker for Halloween.  
Courfeyrac, having made a deal with Grantaire and Jehan that gala's could use some colour, wore a red blazer and pants with a a white shirt and black tie. Jehan said it made the auburn of his hair stand out even more. The venetian mask Grantaire had made for him two years ago fitted the look perfectly. Golden sculpted details, golden glitters, red and black. It was a piece of art. Literally, it had earned Grantaire an 18/20.  
He felt nervously excited. He loved the look but it was one thing to stand out because of his personality and another because of his attire. But he would pull it off. He'd made almost every fashion statement there was to make except dresses and skirts. Though he would never wear jumpsuits again, _the agony,_ he'd done it a couple of times. He couldn't wait to see the reactions.

The door of Enjolras and Combeferre's apartment was ajar and a lot of noise came from behind it. The living room seemed overly full. Girl strutting around, billowing skirts sweeping and rustling behind them, boys drinking and singing along with the radio. A loud argument about ties and an Enjolras at the brink of a nervous breakdown in black pants, two pairs of shoes in his hands and nothing else.  
Grantaire's name was on one of Enjolras' upper ribs. It was artsy with lots of twirls and leaves. He didn't know names could be decorative. Jehan's was just a name, albeit sloppily written but Nicholas did have a very pretty version of Jehan's name. Enjolras' name looked pretty normal on Grantaire's back but his was very decorative apparently. But Bossuet, Musichetta and Joly all had normal looking names though Combeferre's name looked like the calibri 11 of soulmate marks. Would his name look weird? Did it have to do with how creative your soulmate was? Grantaire and Jehan were very creative, it could be. It didn't have to do with ego that much was clear already.  
'Apollo, why the distress?'  
'They're driving me mad. Absolutely mad. Everyone's shouting "wear this" "wear that" "do your hair this way" "no, that way!" I'm sick of it.'  
'Come, I'll help you. You're right. They're a mad bunch.'  
'I can help.'  
That was when Enjolras finally focussed on the odd trio. 'R, you look… You look.'  
'Less dishevelled than usual? I abandoned my "hobo woodchopper hipster unchique" as Jehan would call it.'  
'I would? I still call it that way.'  
'Gorgeous.' It sounded strangled.  
Grantaire's mouth fell open but he couldn't form any words. 'Th- thanks.'  
'Thank you for the offer, Grantaire. But you'll see him when he's ready. I'll make your mouth drop.'  
'Please don't, he's already delirious every time he sees Enjolras for the first couple of seconds. You'll give the man a heart attack if you pretty him up even more than usual.'  
'Well, he has challenged me by naming him Apollo. He's already a god, where do I go from there?' she laughed and pushed Enjolras through the hallway.  
'Drinks?' 'Thanks, Nicholas.' The glass felt odd in his gloved hands but he didn't want to take them off since he'd probably lose them.  
The organisers had imposed gloves out of respect for everyone's privacy. Besides, next to no one liked having hands that looked like a colourbomb exploded on them for the rest of their lives.

'Should have told me you would dress like that.' 'Why, would you give me a pretty red corsage?'  
Combeferre rolled his eyes. 'No.' He was dressed in a two piece with a crisp white shirt and a thick light blue tie. He always wore his shirt collars pretty high lately. 'Would have brought my defibrillator to help the poor souls who would lay their eyes on you.'  
'Not too late yet. Besides, that'd be completely useless. The second they wake up and look up they'll faint again.'  
'We're going to pretend I'm handsome now?'  
'Well you do have a pair of fine eyes.'  
'Are you really quoting Pride and Predjudice?'  
'I might.'  
'Goofball.'  
'Your goofball tonight.'  
'Courfeyrac, meet Eponine- again.'  
Courfeyrac's first thought was stunning, the next skinny. The dress was jet black and supertight with a split that stopped not four inches away from her hip. Her body was transparent lace except the cups. Her nose was crooked but her jaw strong. The red lips looked like a poison and invitation at the same time and the jet black eyes surrounded by black pencil, eyeshadow and liner just drew you in.  
'Enchanté', he said and bowed.  
'Finally, someone with proper manners.'  
'Combeferre shook her hand. Her gloves reached up to halfway her biceps. Her cleavage was deep and her back was completely devoid of any fabric. Courfeyrac wondered where her mark was. And she didn't have any colours on her as far as he saw which made him a bit uneasy. He tried telling himself that almost 80 percent of all marks were on the arms but it didn't help.

When Enjolras did come out it became obvious Cosette had succeeded. His hair which usually gave him a Chris Hemsworth- Thor vibe, was curled loosely. The dark blue suit was obviously custom made designer and his tie was the same colour as Grantaire's suit. It seemed too coincidental that Enjolras, who never wore green, had a bottle green tie lying around his apartment. Oh, wait. He did recognise the tie. To be more exact, he recognised the tie pin with Ravenclaw insignia. It was a tie from Combeferre.  
'Damn Cosette, you want to break me?'  
'You like it?'  
'hell, do I like it he asks? Can't he see I need a doctor over here!'  
Which Marius took as his cue to shout: 'Is there a doctor in the room?'  
'Present!' Joly and Combeferre laughed.  
'Think we might need those defibrillators after all.'  
Cosette was right about Eponine. She was funny, but sometimes she was incredibly serious. She'd slapped two guys who'd grasped her hips to dance with her and disappeared about three times. But she did dance with Feuilly and she did pose with them for pictures. She and Grantaire took off constantly to smoke. Enjolras almost broke a glass the tenth time it happened bearing a very sour look when Grantaire came back and tried to kiss him with the smell of cigarettes still clinging to him.  
Combeferre and Courfeyrac had fun throughout and Courfeyrac enjoyed being able to carelessly touch and jest again. Somehow being more covered up made him feel more open.  
'It's three o'clock and they still haven't played more than one slow number.'  
'The DJ's will change in five minutes. Maybe they kept it until the overall cheer quieted down a bit.'  
'Perhaps.'  
Half an hour later they were still dancing together. The new DJ had a "three partner dances, one pop song or horrible 80's song" rule, which was fine by Courfeyrac. Just as fine as how soft Combeferre's suit felt against his cheek while a suit shouldn't be comfortable.  
'am tired com'ferre.'  
'So I notice.'  
'What time is it?'  
'Way to early for Courfeyrac to be tired normally.'  
'How 's rest?'  
'I can't see everyone.' He twirled Courfeyrac around.  
'I can't see Bahorel, Enjolras or Grantaire. Bossuet is sitting on a chair at our table asleep. Everyone else is dancing. Well, Feuilly and Eponine look more like they're doing Dancing With The Stars but mostly dancing.'  
'Damn, so I'm the first one to give up.'  
'It's okay. You need your beauty sleep.'  
'Yeah, it's tiring being this perfect', he mumbled smilingly against the soft blazer. He let his fingers trail over Combeferre's back to feel the fabric.  
Combeferre inhaled deeply. 'Okay. I'm taking you home.' He twirled and danced, the room a blur of party lights, marble and dark wood, then he was suddenly sitting and leaning against a sleeping Bossuet.  
'Wait here for a bit.'  
Courfeyrac breathed in and sat up straight, rubbing his eyes. It was true that many of his friends were still dancing but there were barely hundred people left. The space felt empty.  
'Okay, c'mere.'  
Combeferre shoved an arm underneath Courfeyrac's and helped him up. 'I'm okay Ferre. I'm a bit more awake now.'  
'The slurring disappeared.'  
'I slurred? Damn, I definitely zoned out a bit there.' And he did again during the car ride. When he woke up he was still fully dressed save his shoes. His suit was all crinkled, that would have to be dry cleaned. He was glad though. Waking up covered in those bright blue marks would have been very uncomfortable and he would have to have the talk with Combeferre then. But he really couldn't afford soulmate distractions. They were only two weeks removed from exams and Courfeyrac was as prepared as any megalomaniac ruler for Russian winter.

.

A week later they held their last meeting of the school year. Courfeyrac's final paper wasn't due until the week after his exams. He had decided he wanted his paper completely done before they started so he could completely focus on his exams. Reality wasn't like that. In reality that ship had set sail when by the time may ended he still only had some six thousand words, appendices included. When the time came to throw a party to celebrate the end of the exams, Courfeyrac jumped by for two hours and immediately got back to work. It was awful. It was stressful and his back hurt like hell after being stuck in the same position for eight hours a day, four weeks on end.  
The library was buzzing with students like him though and a couple of unfortunate students who had very late exams. They all looked drained, all their laptops surrounded by thermos and Styrofoam coffee cups. Almost all the guys had beards so Courfeyrac didn't feel too bad about his four days stubble.  
It was nice though. Everyone suffering together in silence, smoking a cigarette from his emergency packet in the enclosed garden of the college building when he needed a break  
'Hello, could you please? Courfeyrac?!'  
'Oh, hi, Combeferre.'  
'Are you still working on that paper.'  
'Yeah, but I'm just checking the bibliography a final time. Can't believe I'm done already and I still have the whole afternoon to enjoy myself and two days to hand it in.'  
'Courf, it's my shift in the library. It's ten o'clock. We're closing.'  
'What?' He stood and turned around looking for the nearest window. It was almost completely dark. 'Oh man. Give me five more minutes?' 'Yeah sure, I'll be shooing away the others.'  
He finished checking his last six sources and with a tired but contented sigh closed his laptop. Sending would be for tomorrow. He would send it around midday like a responsible student.  
He packed his stuff. Combeferre was sitting on a chair behind the front desk checking his phone.  
'All packed up?'  
'Jup.'  
He stood and locked everything.  
'So, summer can finally begin for you.'  
'Yeah, I'm so happy I'm done', he exclaimed before failing to suppress a yawn. They walked together as far as their paths matched.  
'Get a good night's rest Courf.'  
'Thanks, you too.'  
The night was warm and Combeferre's smile was kind and Courfeyrac wondered why he didn't want to commit to the man he'd been in love with for so long. Because it was love, he realised, not some accidental crush on his best friend. If it were he wouldn't have been so afraid of hurting Combeferre's feelings. If so his heart wouldn't break each time Combeferre didn't smile. If it was a crush it would have passed by now instead of having an eternal sign of love in the shape of Combeferre's name around his wrist.

Courfeyraw was lying against the wall while sitting in a large old fashioned chair. Between his hands a triple caramel macchiato.  
In front of him a book. He was still stuck at the same page as he was on twenty minutes ago. He'd only wanted to sit and relax but he was still too tired to start reading.  
Combeferre walked in and spotted the miserable puddle of brightly coloured clothes against the wall.  
Musichetta handed him his regular.  
'Feeling a bit rested?' A male voice asked.  
'Still on a caffeine IV I'm afraid', Courfeyrac sighed.  
'May I?'  
'Oh do.'

'Aren't you like choking? It's incredibly hot outside and even in here it's barely bearable.'  
Their eyes met. He had this calculating look in his eyes. _What is Combeferre looking for?_  
'You know what? You're right. It is way too hot.'  
He unbuttoned his sleeves, rolling them up until they were above his elbows. Grantaire _was_ right. At the spots Courfeyrac had touched him was nothing to be seen but gold. The purest opaquest gold.  
Nothing around it came even close to yellow. Either he hadn't left a single mark at all or-  
or his colour was indeed gold but he'd never forged an intense enough bond with anyone else to show the colour to the fullest.  
Courfeyrac put down his mug, on his guard.  
'Combeferre', he squeaked meekly.  
Combeferre ignored him and brought his hand up to his collar. Courfeyrac bit his lip. He could only stare in awe. He had not counted on this. Hadn't counted on it happening now. He didn't know how he got here. But Combeferre looked incredibly determined and a tad scared.  
Slowly more and more ink became visible. It seemed to loop around his neck starting at his clavicles.  
An O with a smiley in it was staring right at him.  
'Please say something', Combeferre pressed.  
Courfeyrac hadn't realised he'd been staring at Combeferre's neck in silence.

'A _smiley_?'  
 _Would his name look weird? Did it have to do with how creative your soulmate was? Grantaire and Jehan were very creative, it could be._  
'Well, that answers that question.'  
'What question? Courfeyrac, you're really keeping me on an edge here.'  
' All of my personality reduced to a smiley?' He shook his head.  
'I'm sorry Combeferre,' a slight panic rose to Combeferre's eyes as Courfeyrac said so, 'should have talked about it sooner. I just was so incredibly afraid I'd fuck it up.'  
'I have faith in you.'  
Their hands instinctively reached for each other across the table. All marks on Combeferre's hands got covered in an intense golden glow.  
'I am gold, so it's true.'  
'You didn't know?'  
'No, I haven't left that kind of colour on anyone before.'  
'Courfeyrac, may I please see my marks and name?'  
'Oh, yeah sure.' Courfeyrac rolled up his sleeves. A tiny smile appeared on Combeferre's face.  
'Is the name somewhere private? If it is, I don't need to see it, I won't ask that of you.'  
'It's okay. It's hidden in plain sight. Really, it might have actually bitten you on multiple occasions.'  
Combeferre frowned, his frown deepening and becoming incredulous when Courfeyrac started fidgeting with his watch.  
'You _have_ to be kidding me.'  
There it was, the stripe of white skin a stark contrast against his otherwise bronze skin, the black letters small and neat.  
'Why can't I say I am surprised.'  
'It kinda suits you.'  
'At least it's legible, that's more than I can say from most of my writing.'  
'Well you are a doctor to be, you've got stereotypes to keep up. I mean, no one takes a doctor serious who writes well.'  
Combeferre smiled at him with such affection it felt almost too intimate for a public space.  
Courfeyrac licked his lips that had suddenly become very dry. Was this happening? Was he really getting into a relationship with his best friend? Why didn't he suddenly feel scared anymore? Why had he ever felt nervous? He was only excited.

'Pack your stuff, we're leaving.'  
'Why?'  
'Because I don't believe I'll be able to stop once I start kissing you and now that I know I can it's growing more and more difficult to keep my hands off you with every passing second.'

If you would ask Courfeyrac how the trip to the apartment felt he'd tell you he didn't remember anything except his belly making the weirdest kinds of turns and twists. He hadn't even fully closed the door behind him or searing hot lips were pressed against his. If it had been hot before, Courfeyrac was now really properly overheated. His heartbeat picked up while he threw his arms around Combeferre's neck.  
Combeferre's lips left Courfeyrac's lips. He rubbed his check against Courfeyrac's stubble. The sounds he made were so arousing they should record them and sell them as Viagra.  
'You were really teasing me with that beard Courfeyrac. That was just… mmm, taunting me.'  
Courfeyrac mowled. That was when Combeferre's lips went lower and closed around his neck. Courfeyrac started popping Combeferre's buttons. If Courfeyrac was a tease for being too tired to shave than Combeferre was even worse because a button-up that fitted him so tightly couldn't have been anything other than deliberately chosen.  
Combeferre let his arms fall down so Courfeyrac could tug it off. He felt ribs, , the dent of his spine, broad shoulders, muscle? He didn't know Combeferre worked out.  
Not a second later Combeferre displayed said muscle when he scooped Courfeyrac up and effortlessly carried him to the bedroom.  
Now goose bumps rose all over his skin. This was really happening.  
He reached for Combeferre covering him all in gold. He looked like a golden statue with his aristocratic features and lean glittery limbs.  
'I'm not moving too fast am I?' 'No, no n- just no. Come here.'

Combeferre stiffened when Courfeyrac put his teeth at the hem of his boxers. 'Whmat? Smuwtheng wong?'  
'I've, I'm sorry. I didn't see my virginity being a problem but I do think I should mention I have no idea what I'm doing.'  
Courfeyrac came up again.  
'Combeferre, this is serious for you', Courfeyrac said while laying his hands on Combeferre's shoulders.  
'Are you sure you want to have this all at once, at this speed?'  
'I don't care. Honestly, I don't get the pampering, I don't want it. I just need a bit of guidance. Please, I don't want to slow down now.'  
'If you are certain.'  
'I am, I'm twenty-one and I've dreamt about doing this with you for years, please. Don't, don't make me feel like a child now. It's quite a turn off.'  
'Oh no, wouldn't want that', Courfeyrac said trying to crack a smile.  
'Let's see how we can avoid that.'  
Courfeyrac lowered himself again pulling off the boxers and started nibbling on the inside of his thigh. 'So, you want to top or will I? Both are possible, bottoming might be better or it might not. The preparation can be unpleasant while I could even do it myself.'  
'I'd I- Courfeyrac, could you please stop a second so I can think?'  
Courfeyrac grinned and swept his tongue over his cock one more time before coming up.  
'I'd like to top.'  
'Than you will. Give me a couple of minutes.'  
Once Courfeyrac was ready and had prepared Combeferre as well he grinned at Combeferre.  
'Come on, even the sex talk of your parents must have told you about what will happen now.'  
'Courf, _please_.'  
'Sorry darling, couldn't help myself.'  
Combeferre positioned himself and pulled Courfeyrac's hair at the same time.  
'Show some respect, smileypants.'  
A sound that really wasn't meant to be so high-pitched left his throat. Combeferre pressed his lips against his.  
'You can come down a bit more. Slowly! Yeah, yeah. Okay, great. Oh man, actually terrific.'  
'Less talking, more kissing.'  
'As you wish', he sighed before letting his tongue slide across Comberre's lips. They opened slowly. He tasted like coffee and gum. Wait, the gum was still in there. That was simply too tempting.  
Combeferre pulled back turning every lovely shade of red.  
'Did you just steal my gum?'  
Courfeyrac stuck his tongue out, a green gum lying on it. He took it and stuck it to the box of tissues.  
Combeferre shook his head and buried his nose between Courfeyracs clavicles.  
'Faster please.'  
'What?'  
'We're on a mission here, remember?'  
They were lovely mess cracking jokes and teasing each other. Combeferre wasn't a natural, but he didn't have to be. The fresh lust and love didn't require much stimulation to get him to the edge. After making Combeferre come, Combeferre risked a trip downwards. Combeferre was able to take him whole and just after the third brush of his tongue Courfeyrac came shouting his name.  
'Oh babe, oh com, oh ferre. Damn.'  
Combeferre plopped down beside him. Courfeyrac crawled towards him and draped himself over Combeferre. His heart was beating fast as well.  
'I love you, you know. I think I've been in love with you for quite a while now. I just didn't realise it myself.'  
'I love you too.'

'Courfeyrac! Do you want us to be robbed? Why the hell didn't you lock the door? It was ajar! For fuck's sake!'

The End.


End file.
